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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. field — farmland
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — for sport
  9. perch — the fish
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. field — a subject
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. band — a music group
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. band — a ring
  23. lie — to recline
  24. kid — to tease

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