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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. track — to keep track
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. hand — help
  6. date — the fruit
  7. can — a tin
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — a path
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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