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: dip · ground · bay · club · leaves · wound · deal · key

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. wound — an injury
  3. club — for dancing
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. club — a group
  8. club — for golf
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — the earth
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. wound — an injury
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. ground — crushed
  22. key — in music
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. dip — a sauce

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