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: court · foot · mine · bass · ruler · bowl · pitcher · plane

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  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. bass — low music
  2. court — of law
  3. bass — the fish
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. foot — a measure
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. plane — a tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. plane — in geometry
  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