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: fork · pitch · date · rash · ground · present · foot · key

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. fork — in a road
  3. date — the fruit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. present — a gift
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. key — for a lock
  12. rash — a series
  13. ground — a position
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. present — the time now
  20. rash — hasty
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. key — in music
  24. foot — a measure

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