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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — to come down
  3. field — farmland
  4. kick — in football
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a face
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — a country
  11. suit — in cards
  12. field — a subject
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. track — a path
  15. mug — a cup
  16. field — for sport
  17. shower — rain
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. land — ground
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. shower — to wash
  24. track — to keep track

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