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 120 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 chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. can — to be able to
  3. drill — a practice
  4. drill — army training
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. can — a tin
  8. suit — to fit
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — of a plant
  12. field — farmland
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. root — of a word
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. suit — in cards
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — the cause
  19. can — a tin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. suit — clothes
  22. field — for sport
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. kid — to tease

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