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 116 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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — a permit
  11. dip — to sink
  12. rule — a law
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. capital — money
  17. field — a subject
  18. rule — government
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. capital — a city
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. dip — to dunk

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