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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. land — ground
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. land — a country
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. foot — a measure
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. deal — to handle
  17. plane — a tool
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — a break
  23. land — to come down
  24. deal — an agreement

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