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: pop · track · hide · fork · foot · chest · stick · lean

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. track — a song
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. chest — of your body
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. track — a path
  20. chest — a box
  21. lean — thin
  22. track — to keep track
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pop — soda

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