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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. cap — of ice
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. field — farmland
  9. bass — the fish
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bass — low music
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mine — for digging
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. cap — a hat
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. cap — a lid
  24. field — for sport

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