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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. field — a subject
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. field — for sport
  6. game — wild animals
  7. race — a contest
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — farmland
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. game — a match
  15. race — the arms race
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rest — what's left
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. race — humankind
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. foot — part of the body

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