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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. march — music
  5. suit — in cards
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — farmland
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — for sport
  13. field — a subject
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. foot — a measure
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. suit — to fit
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — of a king
  21. stock — shares
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. court — of law
  24. suit — clothes

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