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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — happening now
  3. lean — thin
  4. bat — the animal
  5. mark — a trace
  6. key — in music
  7. field — farmland
  8. current — of water
  9. field — for sport
  10. date — the fruit
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. file — a line of people
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. key — for a lock
  15. file — a document
  16. mark — a grade
  17. file — a tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. current — electric
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. key — the most important part

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