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 · pop · pit · pass · ground · tear · trunk · court

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pop — to visit
  5. court — of law
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pop — music
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. tear — to rip
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. pass — a permit
  20. court — for sport
  21. hand — in cards
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. court — of a king
  24. hand — help

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