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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. cap — of ice
  6. chip — for betting
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. field — a subject
  11. band — a music group
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — farmland
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chip — to eat
  21. cold — not warm
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — for sport
  24. cold — an illness

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