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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. board — a committee
  3. content — happy
  4. current — of water
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — happening now
  8. race — the arms race
  9. net — in sport
  10. race — a contest
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. net — after costs
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — all right
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — for sport
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. current — electric
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — clever
  23. content — the amount
  24. race — humankind

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