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: mine · suit · ball · field · plane · wake · bass · season

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. mine — for digging
  3. suit — clothes
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bass — the fish
  9. plane — a tool
  10. field — for sport
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ball — a dance
  13. field — a subject
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. season — in sport
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bass — low music
  21. field — farmland
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. season — of the year
  24. ball — a great time

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