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: foot · chip · cap · spring · degree · leaves · bay · lash

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — of ice
  6. spring — the season
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chip — to eat
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. spring — of water
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spring — a coil
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. cap — a lid

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