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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lean — to bend
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. scale — size or range
  5. field — a subject
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a great time
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — thin
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. saw — the tool
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. content — the amount
  16. scale — in music
  17. rock — music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rock — a stone
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. ball — a dance
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — happy
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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