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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. deal — to handle
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pit — in a race
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — letters
  9. wind — moving air
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. net — after costs
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. spell — a short time
  20. net — in sport
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. field — a subject
  23. net — for catching
  24. spell — magic

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