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: cabinet · field · suit · rush · nail · bass · cold · jam

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. field — for sport
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cold — not warm
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — hurry
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bass — low music
  14. suit — to fit
  15. field — a subject
  16. bass — the fish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. cold — an illness
  22. field — farmland
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cold — the Cold War

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