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: firm · hand · deal · spring · foot · bore · pitch · land

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. hand — help
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. deal — to handle
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. spring — of water
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — a country
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spring — the season
  14. firm — a company
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. hand — in cards
  18. land — ground
  19. firm — steady
  20. bore — to drill
  21. firm — decided
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — a measure
  24. bore — to tire

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