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: file · pit · plane · last · pitcher · rest · ground · rush

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pit — in a race
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. file — a line of people
  8. plane — a tool
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — to go on
  12. ground — crushed
  13. last — final
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. file — a document
  18. rest — a break
  19. file — a tool
  20. last — finally
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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