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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. track — to keep track
  6. mug — a face
  7. track — a path
  8. field — farmland
  9. track — a song
  10. field — a subject
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — hurry
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. drill — a practice
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. drill — army training
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. branch — a division
  23. chair — a leader
  24. mug — to rob

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