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 120 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: fork · capital · stem · chest · pound · bay · foot · hide

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — to come from
  9. capital — money
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. chest — a box
  14. chest — of your body
  15. capital — a city
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. chest — of your body
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. pound — a weight

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