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: firm · swing · land · field · bowl · toast · mouse · file

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. swing — music
  5. toast — bread
  6. firm — steady
  7. land — a country
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — a subject
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. file — a document
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. land — ground
  17. field — farmland
  18. file — a tool
  19. land — to come down
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — to play on

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