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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. object — to protest
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. field — for sport
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. can — a tin
  7. field — farmland
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. current — of water
  13. object — an aim
  14. can — to be able to
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. content — the amount
  23. current — happening now
  24. can — a tin

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