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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. court — of law
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mug — a cup
  9. court — for sport
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mug — a face
  12. court — of a king
  13. dip — to sink
  14. net — after costs
  15. bound — certain
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pitch — completely
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. spring — of water
  20. foot — a measure
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bound — obliged
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. mug — to rob

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