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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — completely
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. field — a subject
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. field — farmland
  12. plane — a tool
  13. firm — steady
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. swing — in golf
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. firm — decided
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. field — for sport
  23. firm — a company
  24. swing — music

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