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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. march — music
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. march — the month
  9. band — a music group
  10. field — a subject
  11. pit — a hole
  12. present — there
  13. present — the time now
  14. field — farmland
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a ring
  20. present — a gift
  21. field — for sport
  22. cold — an illness
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cabinet — ministers

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