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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — hasty
  10. kid — to tease
  11. march — the month
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. rash — a series
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. march — music
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — money
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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