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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. track — a song
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. mine — for digging
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a dance
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — farmland
  12. press — to push
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. press — newspapers
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — for sport
  18. track — a path
  19. field — a subject
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. press — a publisher
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — to succeed

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