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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — a line
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. club — a group
  6. field — farmland
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. lean — thin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. field — a subject
  13. race — the arms race
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. fork — in a road
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. lean — to bend
  18. row — to paddle
  19. club — for golf
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — bread
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. field — for sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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