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: snap · tube · foot · can · sharp · calf · cold · field

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. field — farmland
  4. tube — a container
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — a tin
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. foot — a measure
  9. cold — not warm
  10. snap — to click
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — a subject
  14. cold — an illness
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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