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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. field — farmland
  3. drill — army training
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. drill — the tool
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. game — a match
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rock — a stone
  14. drill — a practice
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. rash — a series
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rock — music
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rock — to move gently

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