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: field · saw · rule · toast · hand · chip · foot · straw

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rule — government
  5. field — for sport
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. toast — bread
  11. hand — help
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — in cards
  14. field — farmland
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chip — to eat
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. field — a subject
  19. rule — a law
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. foot — a measure
  24. straw — dry grass

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