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 116 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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. board — to get on
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pound — a weight
  14. deal — to handle
  15. field — a subject
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — to crush
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — farmland
  22. game — a match
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pound — to hit hard

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