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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. field — a subject
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pop — music
  8. field — for sport
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. field — farmland
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bank — of a river
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kid — to tease
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. pop — soda
  18. bank — for money
  19. kid — child
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bank — for money
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — to visit

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