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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. ball — a dance
  3. firm — a company
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. cap — a lid
  6. roll — a list
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rock — music
  10. field — farmland
  11. cap — of ice
  12. firm — decided
  13. rock — a stone
  14. land — a country
  15. land — to come down
  16. roll — a cake
  17. field — a subject
  18. land — ground
  19. field — for sport
  20. date — the fruit
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. ball — a great time
  24. date — on the calendar

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