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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. present — there
  5. field — for sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pit — in a race
  9. shower — rain
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — the earth
  12. scale — in music
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. ground — crushed
  15. present — a gift
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. scale — size or range
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. field — a subject
  21. field — farmland
  22. shower — to wash
  23. present — the time now
  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