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: lash · pitcher · mine · roll · current · foot · net · bat

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. net — in sport
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. mine — for digging
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. current — electric
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. roll — a list
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. roll — a cake
  20. current — happening now
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. current — of water
  23. foot — a measure
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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