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 120 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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kick — in football
  3. field — a subject
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — electric
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — to paddle
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. scale — in music
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. row — a line
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. current — happening now
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. cell — a phone
  21. field — for sport
  22. current — of water
  23. scale — size or range
  24. leaves — lets stay

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