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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. lean — thin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. scale — size or range
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. field — a subject
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. field — farmland
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — in music
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. kid — child
  23. kid — to tease
  24. saw — the tool

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