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 a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. cue — for pool
  5. field — for sport
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fine — high quality
  8. dip — to sink
  9. field — farmland
  10. fine — all right
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fork — in a road
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — a signal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. game — wild animals
  20. cue — a hint
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. game — a match
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. field — a subject

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