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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — completely
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a song
  9. fall — to drop
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. capital — a city
  12. track — to keep track
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bulb — for light
  16. field — a subject
  17. fall — the season
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. field — farmland
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — for sport
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fall — to drop

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