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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. ground — a position
  7. scale — size or range
  8. march — the month
  9. race — humankind
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. race — the arms race
  12. march — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. field — farmland
  17. charge — in control
  18. march — the month
  19. charge — electricity
  20. ground — the earth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. race — a contest
  24. chair — a leader

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