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 116 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: pop · rash · rush · field · content · ball · mouse · craft

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. pop — soda
  3. field — for sport
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — the amount
  6. craft — boats
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — hurry
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pop — music
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. content — happy
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. field — a subject
  19. pop — to visit
  20. field — farmland
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rash — a series
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. ball — a dance

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