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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. can — a tin
  4. spring — of water
  5. pitch — completely
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — a tin
  12. current — electric
  13. can — to be able to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. current — of water
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. current — happening now
  18. spring — the season
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. field — a subject
  24. spring — a coil

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