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 116 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: safe · board · land · pit · spring · bat · plane · field

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. spring — of water
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — for sport
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. plane — a tool
  9. spring — the season
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pit — a hole
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a committee
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. land — ground
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. pit — in a race
  20. land — a country
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. land — to come down
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spring — a coil

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