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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. pound — a weight
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. can — a tin
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bound — tied together
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. field — a subject
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bound — obliged
  18. can — a tin
  19. game — a match
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. field — farmland
  24. can — to be able to

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