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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — a hint
  6. content — the amount
  7. pit — in a race
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. content — happy
  11. can — a tin
  12. club — a group
  13. cue — for pool
  14. can — to be able to
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. field — farmland
  19. cue — a signal
  20. can — a tin
  21. club — for golf
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — for dancing
  24. content — videos and posts

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