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 ________________ took off on time.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. field — for sport
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. field — a subject
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spring — the season
  7. degree — temperature
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — certain
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pass — a permit
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. plane — a tool
  18. degree — an amount
  19. field — farmland
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bound — obliged
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spring — of water
  24. calf — a young animal

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