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: stem · hand · pass · track · court · lean · march · foot

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — thin
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. hand — in cards
  8. court — of law
  9. track — a path
  10. pass — a permit
  11. march — the month
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. track — a song
  14. hand — help
  15. lean — to bend
  16. march — music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. court — of a king
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. track — to keep track
  22. court — for sport
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. foot — a measure

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