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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bore — to tire
  3. field — for sport
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — a subject
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bore — to drill
  12. kid — child
  13. pop — music
  14. track — a song
  15. pop — to visit
  16. wind — moving air
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kid — to tease
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. foot — a measure
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. pop — soda

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