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 120 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 · deal · pitcher · can · pitch · net · foot · hand

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hand — help
  3. net — after costs
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. deal — to handle
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. can — a tin
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — for digging
  20. pitch — completely
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hand — in cards
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. foot — a measure

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