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: field · mine · date · fan · root · pit · object · racket

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mine — for digging
  3. date — the fruit
  4. pit — a hole
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. object — to protest
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. root — of a word
  10. root — of a plant
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. field — for sport
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. object — a thing
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — in a race
  20. field — farmland
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fan — a supporter

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