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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. tube — a container
  3. spell — magic
  4. pit — in a race
  5. field — farmland
  6. pit — a hole
  7. suit — in cards
  8. land — to come down
  9. net — in sport
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. spell — letters
  13. net — after costs
  14. field — for sport
  15. net — for catching
  16. tube — the underground
  17. suit — clothes
  18. land — a country
  19. field — a subject
  20. spell — a short time
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. land — ground
  23. deal — to handle
  24. suit — to fit

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