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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. track — a song
  3. shower — to wash
  4. track — to keep track
  5. charge — in control
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. prune — to trim
  9. charge — electricity
  10. season — of the year
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — in sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. prune — to trim
  19. charge — a price
  20. track — a path
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — rain

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