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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. bat — the animal
  4. can — a tin
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. field — farmland
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. field — for sport
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cap — a lid
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. pop — soda
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. field — a subject
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. branch — a division
  20. can — a tin
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — in a race

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