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: lash · field · game · sharp · mug · perch · scale · bank

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mug — to rob
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bank — for money
  13. scale — in music
  14. field — farmland
  15. bank — for money
  16. scale — size or range
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mug — a cup
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. game — a match
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. mug — a face

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