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 120 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. ground — the earth
  6. content — happy
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. ground — a position
  10. deal — to handle
  11. pit — a hole
  12. field — farmland
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — crushed
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. content — the amount
  23. wind — moving air
  24. deal — a big deal

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