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: hide · pass · field · rest · mine · nail · band · tube

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. mine — for digging
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. field — a subject
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. tube — a container
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pass — a permit
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rest — what's left
  13. tube — the underground
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. field — farmland
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. rest — a break
  24. nail — for a hammer

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