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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. field — farmland
  4. net — in sport
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. net — after costs
  13. net — for catching
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pound — a weight
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. field — a subject
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mark — a grade
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. field — for sport
  24. fine — a penalty

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