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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. squash — to crush
  8. land — ground
  9. land — a country
  10. field — farmland
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. land — to come down
  14. field — a subject
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. stand — to bear
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wake — a trail
  24. squash — the sport

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