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 116 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: suit · fine · charge · field · tear · game · pitcher · sharp

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — to fit
  3. game — a match
  4. tear — to rip
  5. charge — in control
  6. field — farmland
  7. fine — all right
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — electricity
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tear — from crying
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. sharp — clever
  18. suit — clothes
  19. field — a subject
  20. fine — high quality
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. suit — in cards
  23. tear — from crying
  24. game — wild animals

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