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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. date — the fruit
  4. field — farmland
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. field — for sport
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stem — to come from
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. land — to come down
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. field — a subject
  24. swing — to play 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