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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tube — a container
  5. key — the most important part
  6. stock — goods
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — shares
  11. key — for a lock
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. mug — a face
  14. key — in music
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. field — for sport
  19. bat — the animal
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. current — happening now

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