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: fan · lie · pound · fine · pitch · stick · ground · bark

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fine — all right
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. fine — high quality
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lie — an untruth

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