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 120 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. face — part of the head
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. ball — a great time
  17. face — to confront
  18. rash — hasty
  19. foot — a measure
  20. march — the month
  21. face — to point toward
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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