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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. chest — of your body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. cold — an illness
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. rock — music
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. prune — to trim
  9. march — the month
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. cold — not warm
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. march — music
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. rock — a stone
  24. prune — to trim

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