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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. field — for sport
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — to tire
  8. rest — what's left
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. snap — to click
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — finally
  13. bore — to drill
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. scale — size or range
  19. last — to go on
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. rest — a break
  22. last — final
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. scale — in music

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