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: saw · jam · bowl · lean · race · temple · scale · field

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. race — a contest
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. saw — the tool
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. scale — in music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. saw — the tool
  15. race — the arms race
  16. lean — thin
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. lean — to bend
  19. scale — size or range
  20. field — farmland
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. race — humankind
  24. temple — a place of worship

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