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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — for sport
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. pop — to visit
  13. field — farmland
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — high quality
  16. pop — music
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. spell — magic
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. spell — letters
  24. track — a path

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