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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. field — a subject
  3. pop — to visit
  4. rest — a break
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. field — for sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pop — music
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pop — soda
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — farmland
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wake — a trail
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. foot — a measure
  24. rest — what's left

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