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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. foot — a measure
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. cell — in biology
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — a grade
  12. cell — a phone
  13. fall — the season
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. mark — a trace
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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