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: mug · field · bass · race · fall · bowl · wake · season

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. field — farmland
  7. mug — a face
  8. field — for sport
  9. race — humankind
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. field — a subject
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. season — of the year
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mug — a cup
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bass — low music
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the fish
  20. season — in sport
  21. mug — to rob
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. fall — the season
  24. bass — the instrument

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