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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  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. mark — a trace
  2. band — a music group
  3. pit — in a race
  4. band — a ring
  5. kid — to tease
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. can — a tin
  8. root — of a word
  9. can — a tin
  10. foot — a measure
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pit — a hole
  19. root — the cause
  20. mark — a grade
  21. root — of a plant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. kid — child
  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