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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. tear — from crying
  3. foot — a measure
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. lean — to bend
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mate — to breed
  8. capital — money
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lean — thin
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pop — soda
  20. tear — to rip
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. capital — a city
  24. pop — music

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