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: land · present · ground · fork · board · net · pitcher · ball

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. present — there
  3. ball — a great time
  4. board — a committee
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. present — the time now
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. board — to get on
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ground — crushed
  11. net — for catching
  12. net — in sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. land — ground
  15. land — a country
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. present — a gift
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. net — after costs

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