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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. charge — electricity
  5. field — farmland
  6. charge — in control
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — for sport
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. charge — a price
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — music
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. field — a subject
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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