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 · last · foot · dip · prune · pitch · court · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. last — to go on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. prune — to trim
  8. last — final
  9. prune — to trim
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. last — finally
  12. pitch — completely
  13. court — of a king
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. dip — to sink
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. court — for sport
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mine — for digging
  22. court — of law
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. foot — the bottom

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