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: chair · march · roll · chip · season · sharp · field · bay

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. roll — a list
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chip — for betting
  7. field — a subject
  8. season — of the year
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. march — music
  12. sharp — clever
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — in sport
  15. chip — to eat
  16. chair — a leader
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. field — farmland
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. march — the month
  23. march — the month
  24. bay — a horse colour

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