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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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. branch — of a bank
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. track — a song
  6. ball — a dance
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — part of the head
  9. track — a path
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. face — to point toward
  18. branch — a division
  19. face — to confront
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ball — a round shape

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