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

Word bank: game · rash · field · chip · foot · can · object · file

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. object — to protest
  4. field — for sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. object — an aim
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. can — to be able to
  10. game — a match
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a document
  14. rash — a series
  15. foot — a measure
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — a tin
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. rash — hasty

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