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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. object — to protest
  5. object — an aim
  6. tear — from crying
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. tear — to rip
  16. chest — a box
  17. tear — from crying
  18. lean — thin
  19. chest — of your body
  20. toast — bread
  21. pound — a weight
  22. chest — of your body
  23. lean — to bend
  24. branch — a division

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