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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. last — finally
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. track — a path
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. last — final
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — to keep track
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — to handle
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. chest — a box
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. stem — to come from
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. pound — a weight
  24. last — to go on

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