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: arm · foot · rest · pound · field · pitcher · deal · calf

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — a subject
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. foot — a measure
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pound — a weight
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. deal — to handle
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rest — what's left
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rest — a break
  23. deal — a big deal
  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