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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — to crush
  6. net — for catching
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. track — a path
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. track — a song
  13. fine — all right
  14. net — after costs
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. cell — a phone
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — the sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. foot — a measure
  24. trunk — of a tree

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