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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. field — for sport
  3. rest — a break
  4. rest — what's left
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. field — a subject
  7. game — a match
  8. tube — a container
  9. press — newspapers
  10. field — farmland
  11. cue — a hint
  12. tube — the underground
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. kid — child
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. press — to push
  17. kid — to tease
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — a signal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. cue — for pool
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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