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 120 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: rash · racket · march · suit · field · stick · fan · hide

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. march — the month
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. field — a subject
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. rash — a series
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. march — music
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. march — the month
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. suit — to fit
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rash — hasty
  24. racket — for tennis

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