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 · mug · fan · present · court · pitch · pound · foot

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — the time now
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. court — of law
  5. mine — for digging
  6. pound — a weight
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. present — a gift
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mug — a face
  17. court — of a king
  18. pitch — completely
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mug — a cup
  22. mug — to rob
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pitch — a sports field

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