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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bound — certain
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — to be able to
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. foot — a measure
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. clip — a video
  10. mark — a grade
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bound — tied together
  15. season — in sport
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. fall — the season
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. season — of the year
  24. clip — to cut

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