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: bark · bay · ground · roll · pitch · mate · swing · land

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mate — a partner
  8. land — ground
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. land — a country
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. land — to come down
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. mate — to breed
  15. roll — a list
  16. mate — a friend
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. swing — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. ground — crushed
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. ground — a position
  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