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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. tube — the underground
  4. track — to keep track
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. scale — size or range
  7. track — a song
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. net — for catching
  10. rash — hasty
  11. net — in sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. tube — a container
  14. net — after costs
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. track — a path
  21. field — farmland
  22. scale — in music
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. field — for sport

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