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: bark · foot · stand · cell · track · lie · fork · capital

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cell — a phone
  6. fork — in a road
  7. foot — a measure
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. track — to keep track
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. capital — a city
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. lie — to recline
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. cell — in biology
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. track — a song
  24. capital — money

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