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

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stock — shares
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — farmland
  9. rock — music
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stock — goods
  12. spell — letters
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. spell — magic
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — a subject
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stock — a soup base

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