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: squash · rule · mouse · pitcher · trunk · kick · field · file

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. file — a line of people
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. squash — the sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. kick — in football
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. squash — to crush
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. rule — a law
  21. rule — government
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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