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: game · kid · can · last · field · bay · cue · leaves

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. cue — for pool
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. kid — child
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. game — a match
  9. last — finally
  10. field — for sport
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. can — a tin
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. can — to be able to
  18. game — wild animals
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — to tease
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. field — farmland
  24. leaves — lets stay

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