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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. cue — a hint
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. field — farmland
  9. rule — government
  10. chair — a leader
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. cue — a signal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. field — a subject
  15. bore — to drill
  16. rule — a law
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cue — for pool
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. foot — part of the body

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