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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — all right
  4. game — wild animals
  5. sharp — clever
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. can — a tin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mate — a friend
  10. field — a subject
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fine — high quality
  14. mate — to breed
  15. can — to be able to
  16. game — a match
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — electric
  20. can — a tin
  21. current — of water
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. field — farmland
  24. mate — a partner

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