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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. march — the month
  8. foot — a measure
  9. march — music
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. march — the month
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. chest — a box
  15. current — happening now
  16. bulb — for light
  17. rash — a series
  18. chest — of your body
  19. current — electric
  20. bulb — for light
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. current — of water
  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