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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bank — of a river
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. degree — from a university
  6. season — of the year
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. track — to keep track
  9. degree — an amount
  10. race — the arms race
  11. bank — for money
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. race — humankind
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bank — for money
  19. field — a subject
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a path
  22. season — in sport
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. track — a song

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