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 116 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. field — for sport
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. shower — rain
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. shower — to wash
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — a subject
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. rush — hurry
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pop — music
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — child

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