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: mine · foot · sharp · pitcher · fan · pop

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. pop — music
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pop — soda
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pop — to visit
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitcher — a jug

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