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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. field — a subject
  3. foot — a measure
  4. firm — a company
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. shower — to wash
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. lean — to bend
  11. cell — in biology
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — steady
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. lean — thin
  16. field — farmland
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. field — for sport
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. firm — decided
  22. cell — a phone
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. lean — to rest against

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