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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. field — for sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pit — a hole
  5. field — a subject
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. lie — to recline
  8. pit — in a race
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. prune — to trim
  12. charge — a price
  13. ground — crushed
  14. charge — electricity
  15. field — farmland
  16. ground — a position
  17. race — a contest
  18. prune — to trim
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — humankind

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