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 120 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: pass · arm · mine · fork · content · rash · foot · field

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. field — for sport
  4. content — the amount
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. rash — hasty
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. fork — in a road
  15. foot — a measure
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. content — happy
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rash — a series
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. field — a subject
  24. pass — a permit

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