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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. game — wild animals
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. prune — to trim
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. field — for sport
  8. clip — to cut
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. firm — decided
  12. clip — for paper
  13. firm — a company
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. prune — to trim
  18. clip — a video
  19. field — a subject
  20. mark — a grade
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. firm — steady
  23. field — farmland
  24. game — a match

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