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: saw · ball · field · date · ground · suit · pitch · wind

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. ball — a great time
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wind — moving air
  6. suit — clothes
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. field — for sport
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. saw — the tool
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — a position
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. ground — crushed
  22. ball — a dance
  23. field — a subject
  24. date — the fruit

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