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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. tear — from crying
  10. march — the month
  11. mate — a partner
  12. march — music
  13. tear — to rip
  14. mate — a friend
  15. foot — a measure
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. mate — to breed

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