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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. field — for sport
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — in a race
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. field — farmland
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pop — music
  9. pit — a hole
  10. fine — all right
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bore — to tire
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pop — soda
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. field — a subject
  24. coach — a trainer

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