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: field · cap · suit · game · lash · mate · arm · straw

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. game — a match
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mate — a friend
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mate — a partner
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — a subject
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. suit — clothes
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. field — farmland
  17. cap — of ice
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. cap — a hat
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. suit — to fit
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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