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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pit — in a race
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rest — a break
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. band — a ring
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wax — to grow
  19. band — a music group
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. row — to paddle
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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