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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — clothes
  3. suit — to fit
  4. cue — for pool
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — in cards
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. fine — all right
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. cue — a hint
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. field — a subject
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — in a race
  23. wake — a trail
  24. field — farmland

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