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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. present — there
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rest — a break
  7. scale — size or range
  8. rest — what's left
  9. present — the time now
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. content — the amount
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. present — a gift
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. content — happy
  17. charge — a price
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. squash — to crush
  23. charge — in control
  24. squash — the sport

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