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: deal · spell · foot · kick · hand · pitcher · pitch · bore

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — to handle
  3. hand — help
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. foot — a measure
  14. spell — letters
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bore — to drill
  18. spell — magic
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. bore — to tire
  22. spell — a short time
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitch — completely

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