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: hand · field · foot · fork · bass · rash · safe · deal

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. bass — low music
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. deal — to handle
  5. hand — help
  6. rash — hasty
  7. foot — a measure
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — a series
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. bass — the fish
  16. field — for sport
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — in cards

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