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: pass · staff · fork · field · pitch · foot · mark · content

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. content — happy
  4. mark — a trace
  5. content — the amount
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. foot — a measure
  8. staff — employees
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. staff — employees
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. field — farmland
  15. pitch — completely
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pass — a permit
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. field — a subject
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — for sport
  24. fork — in a road

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