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: field · squash · charge · rash · craft · bear · deal · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — in control
  4. kick — in football
  5. field — farmland
  6. rash — a series
  7. field — a subject
  8. craft — a skill
  9. squash — the sport
  10. rash — hasty
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. squash — to crush
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. deal — to handle
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. charge — a price
  21. field — for sport
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. charge — electricity
  24. craft — boats

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