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: sharp · foot · coach · fall · rush · bound · pitcher · deal

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. sharp — clever
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — tied together
  14. fall — the season
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bound — certain
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. bound — obliged
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. rush — hurry

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