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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — in sport
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — to come from
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. foot — a measure
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. wound — an injury
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

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