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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — an aim
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — farmland
  5. object — to protest
  6. current — of water
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. current — happening now
  9. field — for sport
  10. pop — soda
  11. bank — for money
  12. capital — money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. stock — goods
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — child
  17. current — electric
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. stock — shares
  20. capital — a city
  21. pop — music
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — to tease
  24. object — a thing

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