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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. spring — a coil
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stem — to come from
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. field — a subject
  11. court — of law
  12. court — of a king
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. field — farmland
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. court — for sport
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. spring — of water

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