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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. clip — to cut
  3. pit — a hole
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. field — for sport
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. foot — a measure
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — a video
  17. pit — in a race
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. clip — for paper
  24. foot — the bottom

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