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: pop · ball · pit · club · spring · wound · fine · mine

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — high quality
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — in a race
  9. club — for golf
  10. spring — of water
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pop — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. pop — soda
  16. spring — the season
  17. mine — for digging
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spring — a coil
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a great time
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mine — an explosive

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