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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cell — in biology
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. degree — temperature
  9. cell — a phone
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. degree — from a university
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. march — music
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — help
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. march — the month
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. degree — an amount
  24. rest — a break

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