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: cell · wound · pitch · sharp · foot · spring · toast · vault

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cell — in biology
  4. pitch — completely
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — an injury
  9. toast — bread
  10. spring — of water
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. spring — the season
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. vault — a safe
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. spring — a coil
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cell — a phone
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. foot — part of the body

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