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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. mug — a face
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mug — a cup
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — clever
  10. cell — in biology
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — a phone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pass — a permit
  18. drill — army training
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. field — a subject
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. drill — the tool
  24. mug — to rob

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