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 · pitcher · toast · swing · lean · prune · mate · kid

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. lean — to bend
  3. swing — music
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — crushed
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. ground — a position
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. lean — thin
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. swing — in golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. swing — to play on
  22. ground — the earth
  23. prune — to trim
  24. toast — bread

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