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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. rock — music
  8. rock — a stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. press — to push
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. field — farmland
  14. press — a publisher
  15. club — for golf
  16. file — a tool
  17. field — for sport
  18. club — a group
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — for dancing
  21. press — newspapers
  22. file — a document
  23. file — a line of people
  24. bass — the fish

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