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 · track · pass · band · leaves · capital · fall · safe

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. capital — money
  4. band — a ring
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. field — a subject
  7. track — a song
  8. band — a music group
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. track — a path
  11. track — to keep track
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. pass — a permit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. capital — a city
  17. fall — to drop
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. field — for sport

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