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 · foot · arm · mouse · mark · bulb · field · present

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. chest — a box
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — there
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. chest — of your body
  14. field — for sport
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mark — a trace
  23. present — the time now
  24. bulb — for light

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