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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. ground — crushed
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mate — a friend
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mate — a partner
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. field — for sport
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rest — a break
  21. field — a subject
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pit — in a race
  24. suit — in cards

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