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: field · ground · temple · club · season · pop · saw · board

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. field — for sport
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. field — farmland
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — a group
  11. saw — the tool
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pop — to visit
  14. field — a subject
  15. club — for golf
  16. season — in sport
  17. club — for dancing
  18. board — to get on
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pop — music
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ground — crushed
  24. board — a committee

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