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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mate · mark · bat · plane · kid · foot · perch · lean

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. plane — a tool
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kid — child
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. bat — the animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mark — a grade
  14. mate — a friend
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lean — thin
  17. mark — a trace
  18. foot — a measure
  19. perch — the fish
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mate — a partner
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. lean — to bend
  24. mate — to breed

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