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 120 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: kid · fan · track · pass · field · stand · drill · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. pass — a permit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rule — a law
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. field — for sport
  7. track — a song
  8. rule — government
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. drill — army training
  12. stand — to bear
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. field — farmland
  15. kid — to tease
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — the tool
  19. field — a subject
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. kid — child

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