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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. field — for sport
  5. row — a line
  6. charge — electricity
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. squash — the sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. net — after costs
  11. charge — a price
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. charge — in control
  14. row — to paddle
  15. dip — to sink
  16. squash — to crush
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. net — in sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. net — for catching

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