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 · chip · field · scale · suit · jam · hide · racket

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. suit — in cards
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. field — for sport
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — an injury
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. suit — to fit
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wound — an injury
  15. scale — in music
  16. field — farmland
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — a subject
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chip — for betting
  22. chip — to eat
  23. scale — size or range
  24. racket — for tennis

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