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: drill · band · pit · rock · bark · net · field · mug

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. rock — music
  7. band — a ring
  8. field — a subject
  9. rock — a stone
  10. mug — a face
  11. drill — a practice
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. band — a music group
  18. bark — to shout
  19. field — farmland
  20. field — for sport
  21. mug — a cup
  22. net — after costs
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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