ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · lean · key · bore · fine · pitcher · land · pop

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. lean — thin
  11. land — a country
  12. pop — soda
  13. ground — the earth
  14. key — the most important part
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fine — all right
  17. land — ground
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. pop — music
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. ground — crushed
  24. land — to come down

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com