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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. field — for sport
  3. spring — a coil
  4. can — a tin
  5. field — a subject
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. degree — temperature
  9. game — wild animals
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. spring — of water
  12. degree — an amount
  13. field — farmland
  14. can — a tin
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. suit — in cards
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. spring — the season
  22. degree — from a university
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lash — an eyelash

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