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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: race · kick · lash · deal · field · fork

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. kick — in football
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. deal — to handle
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. race — humankind
  12. field — for sport
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. race — a contest
  15. fork — in a road
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. race — the arms race
  18. fork — to eat with

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