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: chest · pop · foot · rest · pit · key · object · field

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. object — an aim
  3. chest — of your body
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. object — a thing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. object — to protest
  8. pit — a hole
  9. key — in music
  10. rest — a break
  11. rest — what's left
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. field — a subject
  14. pop — music
  15. chest — a box
  16. pit — in a race
  17. field — farmland
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — soda
  20. chest — of your body
  21. key — the most important part
  22. pop — to visit
  23. foot — a measure
  24. field — for sport

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