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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. field — for sport
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. kid — child
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rock — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. field — farmland
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. toast — bread
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. kid — to tease
  21. cell — a phone
  22. rock — a stone
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — a cake

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