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 116 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. mate — to breed
  3. race — the arms race
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. race — a contest
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. scale — in music
  13. race — humankind
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. mate — a partner
  20. field — farmland
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitch — a sports field

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