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: snap · mark · deal · roll · chair · mine · tube · field

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — a subject
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mark — a grade
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mine — for digging
  10. tube — the underground
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. roll — a cake
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. chair — a leader
  20. roll — a list
  21. snap — to click
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. tube — a container
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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