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: sharp · swing · foot · firm · dip · bank · pitcher · scale

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. firm — a company
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. foot — a measure
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. scale — in music
  11. bank — for money
  12. swing — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. sharp — clever
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — steady
  20. swing — to play on
  21. scale — size or range
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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