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 have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. last — finally
  5. branch — a division
  6. wind — moving air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. last — to go on
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. foot — a measure
  14. wind — moving air
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. last — final
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — the animal
  20. roll — a cake
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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