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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. charge — in control
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pound — a weight
  9. key — in music
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. lie — to recline
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. net — for catching
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — the most important part
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. net — in sport
  20. stock — goods
  21. charge — electricity
  22. charge — a price
  23. field — farmland
  24. pitch — completely

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