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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. content — the amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. content — happy
  5. track — a path
  6. rule — government
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — to keep track
  10. rule — a law
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — a subject
  19. net — in sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. staff — employees
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. track — a song

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