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 116 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. field — farmland
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. march — music
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pass — a permit
  20. march — the month
  21. pit — a hole
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mate — to breed
  24. nail — for a hammer

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