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: pop · pit · jam · ball · nail · field · date · bark

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a great time
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. pop — soda
  10. pop — to visit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pop — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. field — farmland
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. field — for sport
  24. jam — a tight spot

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