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: bat · pitcher · rest · chair · chest · mark · root · foot

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bat — the animal
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rest — what's left
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mark — a trace
  16. root — of a word
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rest — a break
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. root — the cause
  21. root — of a plant
  22. mark — a grade
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. mark — to pay attention

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