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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. season — of the year
  5. chest — of your body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — a lid
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. cap — a hat
  16. drill — a practice
  17. season — in sport
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. field — farmland
  20. chest — a box
  21. field — for sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — a subject
  24. foot — part of the body

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