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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. content — happy
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — a subject
  5. current — happening now
  6. rock — music
  7. rock — a stone
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. content — the amount
  13. field — farmland
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. current — of water
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — for sport
  18. stock — goods
  19. current — electric
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stock — shares

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