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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pit — in a race
  5. staff — employees
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. roll — a list
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. track — a song
  11. field — farmland
  12. track — a path
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. roll — a cake
  17. staff — a stick
  18. branch — a division
  19. staff — employees
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. mine — belonging to me

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