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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. charge — in control
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — to paddle
  5. rash — a series
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chest — of your body
  9. dip — to sink
  10. charge — electricity
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. rash — hasty
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. field — for sport
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. charge — a price
  22. chest — of your body
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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