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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kid — child
  6. charge — in control
  7. charge — electricity
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. spring — a coil
  11. cap — of ice
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — farmland
  14. cap — a lid
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. field — a subject
  18. spring — the season
  19. charge — a price
  20. cap — a hat
  21. row — to paddle
  22. kid — to tease
  23. spring — of water
  24. row — a line

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