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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. staff — employees
  5. track — to keep track
  6. staff — a stick
  7. field — farmland
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. tear — from crying
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. tear — to rip
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. track — a song
  14. field — for sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stand — to bear
  21. field — a subject
  22. track — a path
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bowl — to roll

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