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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — a container
  3. court — of a king
  4. field — a subject
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. court — for sport
  7. march — the month
  8. march — music
  9. bound — obliged
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. current — happening now
  13. field — farmland
  14. bound — tied together
  15. tube — the underground
  16. court — of law
  17. current — of water
  18. squash — the sport
  19. field — for sport
  20. march — the month
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bound — certain
  24. current — electric

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