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 120 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've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. field — farmland
  3. kid — child
  4. file — a line of people
  5. ball — a great time
  6. firm — decided
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. ball — a dance
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. tube — a container
  12. mark — a trace
  13. file — a document
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. firm — steady
  16. drill — the tool
  17. mark — a grade
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — for sport
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — the underground
  22. file — a tool
  23. kid — to tease
  24. firm — a company

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