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: spell · shower · object · foot · saw · chair · land · chest

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. object — a thing
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chest — a box
  6. land — a country
  7. shower — rain
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chair — a leader
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. land — to come down
  12. spell — magic
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. chest — of your body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. saw — the tool
  19. land — ground
  20. shower — to wash
  21. object — to protest
  22. saw — the tool
  23. object — an aim
  24. spell — letters

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