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 116 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — a subject
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. drill — the tool
  5. field — farmland
  6. squash — the sport
  7. squash — to crush
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fine — high quality
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fine — all right
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. field — for sport
  23. rest — a break
  24. rest — what's left

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