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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ball — a great time
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — a trail
  8. cell — a phone
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pitch — completely
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cell — in biology
  16. field — a subject
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. field — farmland

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