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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — a container
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the fish
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. field — for sport
  7. chair — a leader
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. foot — a measure
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. tube — the underground
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — farmland
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bass — low music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. chair — a professorship

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