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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. kid — child
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. row — to paddle
  5. firm — a company
  6. firm — steady
  7. cue — a hint
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kid — to tease
  11. firm — decided
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. cue — for pool
  15. field — a subject
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — a signal
  23. field — farmland
  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