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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. stand — to bear
  3. object — to protest
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. object — an aim
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. last — finally
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. last — to go on
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. foot — a measure
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. object — a thing
  17. cold — an illness
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cold — not warm
  20. wound — an injury
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. last — final
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wound — an injury

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