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: capital · mark · firm · pitcher · field · ruler · track · calf

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. track — to keep track
  3. capital — money
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. firm — steady
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. field — for sport
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mark — a trace
  11. field — a subject
  12. firm — decided
  13. track — a song
  14. capital — a city
  15. track — a path
  16. firm — a company
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitcher — a jug

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