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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · fine · snap · squash · field · can

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fine — all right
  3. can — to be able to
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. field — a subject
  6. can — a tin
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. field — farmland
  10. fine — high quality
  11. snap — to click
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. pit — a hole
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — in a race

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