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: foot · chair · bore · present · spell · bowl · straw · tear

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. tear — to rip
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. present — the time now
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — to drill
  16. tear — from crying
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. present — a gift
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. present — there
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. tear — from crying

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