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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. track — a path
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. track — to keep track
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — for sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. staff — employees
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. field — farmland
  14. track — a song
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. vault — a safe
  17. saw — the tool
  18. staff — a stick
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. field — a subject
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitch — completely

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