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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. foot — a measure
  4. field — farmland
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. deal — to handle
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wake — a trail
  13. field — for sport
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bulb — for light
  24. rush — a thrill

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