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: last · fall · suit · mine · jam · pitch · hand · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. pitch — completely
  5. suit — to fit
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. last — to go on
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — help
  13. last — final
  14. foot — a measure
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. suit — in cards
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mine — for digging
  24. jam — in traffic

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