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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. field — farmland
  5. rush — hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. field — for sport
  8. field — a subject
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — a group
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. row — a line
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. row — to paddle

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