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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bass — low music
  4. bank — for money
  5. season — in sport
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. field — farmland
  8. fine — all right
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pop — soda
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. field — for sport
  13. pop — music
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. mate — to breed
  16. pop — to visit
  17. season — of the year
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mate — a partner
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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