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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. board — to get on
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — completely
  8. field — for sport
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. ground — a position
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. field — a subject
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. bat — the animal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pit — a hole
  20. field — farmland
  21. pound — a weight
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pit — in a race

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