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

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. club — a group
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — letters
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spell — magic
  9. club — for dancing
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — a short time
  13. spring — of water
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. suit — to fit
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. hand — help
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — clothes
  20. spring — the season
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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