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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. firm — a company
  6. rash — hasty
  7. tear — to rip
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. firm — decided
  16. field — a subject
  17. bat — the animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — a series
  22. firm — steady
  23. foot — a measure
  24. nail — for a hammer

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