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: sharp · wake · row · field · roll · content · key · lash

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. field — for sport
  3. roll — a cake
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. roll — a list
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. wake — a trail
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. content — the amount
  15. field — farmland
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. content — happy
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — in music
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. field — a subject
  24. key — for a lock

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