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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wind — moving air
  3. deal — to handle
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. cue — a hint
  7. field — farmland
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. board — a committee
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. field — a subject
  16. board — to get on
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a signal
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. field — for sport
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. plane — an aircraft

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