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: roll · chest · court · suit · field · lash · deal · fork

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. suit — in cards
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. suit — clothes
  7. field — a subject
  8. court — of law
  9. chest — a box
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. chest — of your body
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. court — of a king
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. chest — of your body
  24. court — for sport

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