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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — employees
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — for sport
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pop — music
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rash — a series
  17. rash — hasty
  18. swing — music
  19. swing — to play on
  20. mate — a partner
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. swing — in golf
  24. staff — a stick

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