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: ruler · swing · field · lean · sharp · march · cabinet · mug

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. swing — to play on
  6. mug — to rob
  7. sharp — clever
  8. lean — to bend
  9. swing — in golf
  10. march — the month
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. field — for sport
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. mug — a cup
  16. swing — music
  17. march — music
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mug — a face
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. sharp — with an edge

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