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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. object — to protest
  3. fall — to drop
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. fall — the season
  6. field — a subject
  7. staff — a stick
  8. foot — a measure
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. staff — employees
  11. object — an aim
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — for digging
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. field — for sport
  19. fall — to drop
  20. object — a thing
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. field — farmland

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