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: cold · ruler · row · season · mate · racket · field · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. season — in sport
  3. field — farmland
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cold — an illness
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — a subject
  11. mate — to breed
  12. field — for sport
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. season — of the year
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a line
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mark — a grade
  24. cold — not warm

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