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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. foot — a measure
  4. tube — the underground
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. land — to come down
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. land — a country
  12. track — a song
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — a company
  15. chest — of your body
  16. firm — steady
  17. tube — a container
  18. track — to keep track
  19. land — ground
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — a trail
  24. track — a path

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