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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bound — obliged
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. bank — of a river
  6. mug — a face
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bound — tied together
  12. prune — to trim
  13. file — a document
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bound — certain
  19. board — a committee
  20. file — a line of people
  21. mug — a cup
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bank — for money
  24. board — to get on

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