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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. field — a subject
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. track — to keep track
  9. field — farmland
  10. firm — steady
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. squash — to crush
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. squash — the sport
  15. track — a song
  16. kick — in football
  17. scale — size or range
  18. pass — a permit
  19. track — a path
  20. scale — in music
  21. foot — a measure
  22. field — for sport
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. pass — to spend time

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