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 120 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. track — to keep track
  3. last — finally
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. swing — in golf
  11. field — farmland
  12. last — final
  13. track — a path
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rule — government
  16. swing — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. court — of a king
  19. track — a song
  20. court — for sport
  21. court — of law
  22. swing — to play on
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. last — to go on

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