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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. deal — to handle
  3. file — a line of people
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. face — to confront
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. file — a tool
  11. file — a document
  12. squash — the sport
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. face — to point toward
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — to crush
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mouse — the animal

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