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: band · coach · fall · bowl · track · race · field · wake

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. field — farmland
  3. fall — the season
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — for sport
  6. track — a path
  7. fall — to drop
  8. race — humankind
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. band — a music group
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. field — a subject
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. track — a song
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. race — a contest

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