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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. field — for sport
  5. dip — to sink
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. bass — low music
  8. march — the month
  9. row — to paddle
  10. march — the month
  11. pop — music
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bass — the fish
  18. march — music
  19. field — a subject
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pop — soda
  22. row — a line
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bass — the instrument

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