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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. snap — to click
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. mug — a face
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lean — thin
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ball — a dance
  11. field — farmland
  12. mug — to rob
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. field — a subject
  15. mug — a cup
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. roll — a list
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. craft — a skill
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. lean — to bend
  22. ball — a great time
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. craft — boats

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