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: drill · jam · bowl · field · present · coach · leaves · deal

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. present — the time now
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. present — a gift
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. field — for sport
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. deal — to handle
  14. field — a subject
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. present — there
  19. drill — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. coach — a trainer

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