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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. object — an aim
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. content — happy
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. chip — to eat
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — for sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — a thing
  18. content — the amount
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. lie — to recline
  22. field — farmland
  23. chip — for betting
  24. arm — part of the body

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