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: field · trunk · game · jam · pit · patient · wind · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. game — a match
  11. field — a subject
  12. wind — moving air
  13. field — farmland
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. rule — government
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wind — moving air
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. field — for sport
  24. rule — to rule out

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