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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. deal — to handle
  3. drill — a practice
  4. field — a subject
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. can — a tin
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. field — farmland
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. can — a tin
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pit — in a race
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — a break
  21. field — for sport
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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