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: saw · field · fall · track · pitch · calf · can · rock

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. rock — music
  6. field — farmland
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. track — a path
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. can — a tin
  13. saw — the tool
  14. field — for sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitch — completely
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. field — a subject
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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