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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — a subject
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. band — a ring
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. field — for sport
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. field — farmland
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bank — of a river
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — for money
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. band — a music group
  24. bank — for money

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