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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bark — to shout
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. field — for sport
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. court — of law
  11. court — for sport
  12. bass — low music
  13. court — of a king
  14. field — farmland
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bass — the fish
  22. field — a subject
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bank — for money

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