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: lash · field · tube · saw · bay · chair · content · scale

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. field — farmland
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. saw — the tool
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. field — a subject
  12. content — the amount
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. field — for sport
  20. content — happy
  21. saw — the tool
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — in music
  24. chair — a leader

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