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: club · board · bowl · band · date · pit · field · jam

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. band — a music group
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. field — a subject
  5. band — a ring
  6. club — for dancing
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. date — the fruit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. board — to get on
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. pit — in a race
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. club — a group
  21. board — a committee
  22. field — for sport
  23. club — for golf
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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