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: wound · rash · leaves · can · kid · fine · field · straw

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. rash — a series
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — a subject
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fine — high quality
  9. can — a tin
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. fine — all right
  12. rash — hasty
  13. can — to be able to
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — farmland
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. kid — child
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. kid — to tease
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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