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: patient · last · jam · stock · field · pitch · pop · march

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. field — for sport
  3. march — the month
  4. pop — music
  5. field — farmland
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pop — to visit
  11. last — finally
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. last — final
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. march — music
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pop — soda
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. march — the month
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. last — to go on
  24. field — a subject

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