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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. bat — the animal
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. fine — all right
  11. bank — for money
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. chest — a box
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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