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: pit · foot · object · chest · mark · spell · cap · band

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cap — of ice
  3. band — a ring
  4. object — to protest
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. cap — a hat
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chest — of your body
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — magic
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — a thing
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — a hole
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. spell — a short time
  23. chest — a box
  24. foot — a measure

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