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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. cell — a phone
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bound — obliged
  5. pit — a hole
  6. field — for sport
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — certain
  10. cell — in biology
  11. lie — to recline
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pitch — completely
  16. field — a subject
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — farmland
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bowl — to roll
  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