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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. field — a subject
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. object — to protest
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. object — an aim
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. object — a thing
  13. row — a line
  14. face — to confront
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. row — to paddle
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. face — part of the head
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bowl — to roll

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