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: deal · stick · chip · stand · field · hand · arm · degree

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — to handle
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. chip — for betting
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — an amount
  13. stand — to bear
  14. hand — in cards
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. chip — to eat
  19. field — a subject
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. field — farmland
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — help

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