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: track · mouse · present · clip · toast · staff · foot · stem

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. present — the time now
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. track — a song
  7. clip — a video
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. staff — a stick
  11. clip — to cut
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. track — to keep track
  14. clip — for paper
  15. toast — bread
  16. track — a path
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — employees
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. present — there
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. staff — employees
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. foot — the bottom

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