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: field · can · file · degree · lie · current · cabinet · game

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — a match
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. file — a document
  7. current — of water
  8. field — for sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. can — to be able to
  13. degree — an amount
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. file — a line of people
  16. current — happening now
  17. file — a tool
  18. field — farmland
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. current — electric
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. degree — from a university
  23. field — a subject
  24. game — wild animals

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