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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cue — a hint
  4. cue — a signal
  5. track — a path
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. track — a song
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. track — to keep track
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. cue — for pool
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bass — low music
  22. capital — a city
  23. pitch — completely
  24. capital — money

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