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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. can — a tin
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. field — a subject
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. season — of the year
  9. can — a tin
  10. tube — the underground
  11. field — for sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. season — in sport
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. date — the fruit
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. can — to be able to
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. tube — a container
  24. foot — a measure

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