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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fine — high quality
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. can — to be able to
  6. key — in music
  7. key — the most important part
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. field — farmland
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. fine — all right
  14. key — for a lock
  15. field — a subject
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. march — music
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. can — a tin
  21. can — a tin
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a horse colour

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