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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. board — to get on
  6. face — to point toward
  7. board — a committee
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. net — after costs
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. net — in sport
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stem — to come from
  15. field — a subject
  16. chip — to eat
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — hurry
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. chip — for betting
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. face — part of the head

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