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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. last — finally
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bass — the fish
  5. last — to go on
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — a song
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. vault — a safe
  19. track — a path
  20. last — final
  21. bass — low music
  22. field — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — completely

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