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: hand · ground · squash · pitcher · pound · jam · bay · track

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. ground — the earth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. track — a song
  9. squash — the sport
  10. ground — crushed
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. track — a path
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ground — a position
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hand — help
  24. bay — a horse colour

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