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 · fork · bass · date · stand · pit · mark · sharp

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. fork — in a road
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. field — a subject
  7. field — farmland
  8. sharp — clever
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. field — for sport
  11. bass — low music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. date — the fruit
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. stand — to bear
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bass — the fish
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. mark — a trace
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. date — on the calendar

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