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 120 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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. race — a contest
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — in sport
  8. file — a tool
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pit — in a race
  11. fork — in a road
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. last — final
  15. file — a document
  16. race — humankind
  17. net — after costs
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. file — a line of people
  22. foot — a measure
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — a hole

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