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: pit · mine · bark · lash · wind · pop · foot · stem

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. mine — for digging
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. pop — music
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bark — to shout

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