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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. bass — the fish
  4. season — in sport
  5. field — for sport
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — a face
  9. season — of the year
  10. bore — to drill
  11. wound — an injury
  12. fine — all right
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bass — low music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. field — farmland
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitch — completely
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fine — high quality
  24. mug — to rob

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