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: mark · saw · mate · foot · sharp · wind · cell · ball

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wind — moving air
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mate — a partner
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. sharp — clever
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mark — a grade
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mate — to breed
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. mate — a friend
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wind — moving air
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a great time
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mark — to pay attention

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