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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. face — part of the head
  3. degree — temperature
  4. face — to point toward
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. shower — to wash
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. fork — in a road
  13. degree — from a university
  14. season — of the year
  15. branch — a division
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. degree — an amount
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. foot — a measure
  23. face — to confront
  24. shower — rain

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