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: deal · fall · bank · jam · field · row · content · arm

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. content — happy
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. fall — the season
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. field — a subject
  8. row — a line
  9. fall — to drop
  10. field — for sport
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. bank — for money
  15. content — the amount
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — of a river
  18. field — farmland
  19. bank — for money
  20. row — to paddle
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — a big deal

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