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 120 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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. squash — the sport
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. can — to be able to
  8. file — a document
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — to trim
  11. file — a line of people
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. key — in music
  15. squash — to crush
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. rock — music
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — a subject
  21. file — a tool
  22. chip — for betting
  23. rock — a stone
  24. key — for a lock

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