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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. mug — a cup
  6. degree — temperature
  7. field — for sport
  8. fork — in a road
  9. field — farmland
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. degree — from a university
  17. field — a subject
  18. rule — government
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. degree — an amount
  23. game — a match
  24. deal — to handle

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