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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. march — the month
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. foot — a measure
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. saw — the tool
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. march — the month
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bound — tied together
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bound — obliged
  22. lean — to bend
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. march — 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