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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pop — soda
  3. race — humankind
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — for sport
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. race — the arms race
  9. march — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. suit — in cards
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — to handle
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. suit — to fit
  21. race — a contest
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. deal — an agreement

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