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: can · dip · bass · field · stem · race · club · ground

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. can — to be able to
  3. field — for sport
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. can — a tin
  6. field — a subject
  7. race — a contest
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. club — a group
  10. ground — crushed
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. race — humankind
  14. ground — a position
  15. field — farmland
  16. dip — to sink
  17. club — for golf
  18. ground — the earth
  19. club — for dancing
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. stem — to come from
  23. bass — low music
  24. stem — a stem cell

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