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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. root — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. lean — thin
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. field — a subject
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. field — farmland
  16. cap — a hat
  17. root — of a word
  18. pass — a permit
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. lean — to bend
  21. root — the cause
  22. field — for sport
  23. ball — a dance
  24. ball — a round shape

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