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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. current — happening now
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. current — of water
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. file — a tool
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. band — a music group
  12. current — electric
  13. file — a line of people
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. clip — for paper
  16. file — a document
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. band — a ring
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — a video
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. pound — a weight
  24. band — a rubber band

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