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: firm · pop · fine · capital · sharp · field · pitch · shower

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pop — music
  3. fine — high quality
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. shower — rain
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. sharp — clever
  9. firm — decided
  10. pitch — completely
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. pop — to visit
  13. capital — money
  14. pop — soda
  15. firm — steady
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. field — a subject
  18. fine — all right
  19. capital — a city
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. firm — a company
  24. fine — a penalty

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