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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. ground — a position
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — to keep track
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. track — a path
  11. scale — size or range
  12. field — farmland
  13. chip — for betting
  14. field — for sport
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chip — to eat
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ground — crushed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fork — in a road
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fork — a garden tool

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