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 · kick · foot · content · file · jam · stick · cue

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. kick — in football
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — for sport
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. content — the amount
  15. cue — a signal
  16. file — a line of people
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. foot — a measure
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. field — a subject
  23. content — happy
  24. field — farmland

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