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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bore — to tire
  3. cell — in biology
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bore — to drill
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. field — farmland
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. swing — in golf
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — happening now
  15. swing — music
  16. cell — a phone
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. season — in sport
  19. current — of water
  20. swing — to play on
  21. season — of the year
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. current — electric

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