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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. field — farmland
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rash — a series
  8. pit — a hole
  9. tube — a container
  10. pit — in a race
  11. mate — a partner
  12. field — for sport
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. field — a subject
  21. rock — music
  22. mine — for digging
  23. perch — the fish
  24. rash — on the skin

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