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 120 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: game · pit · key · charge · deal · hand · rock · ground

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ground — a position
  4. hand — help
  5. charge — in control
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. charge — electricity
  9. key — for a lock
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. charge — a price
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — a hole
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. key — in music
  18. deal — to handle
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. ground — crushed
  23. key — the most important part
  24. rock — a stone

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