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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bass — low music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. craft — a skill
  10. lean — to bend
  11. craft — boats
  12. branch — a division
  13. pop — music
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. foot — a measure
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chest — of your body
  21. lean — thin
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. pop — soda

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