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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. field — for sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. field — farmland
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. charge — electricity
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. charge — a price
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. file — a tool
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. file — a document
  19. field — a subject
  20. bat — the animal
  21. charge — in control
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. squash — the 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