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: mark · pop · wave · field · current · pitcher · face · game

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. current — of water
  3. pop — to visit
  4. field — a subject
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. field — for sport
  7. face — to point toward
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. field — farmland
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mark — a trace
  14. face — to confront
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. pop — soda
  18. game — wild animals
  19. current — happening now
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. face — part of the head
  22. game — a match
  23. pop — music
  24. pitcher — a jug

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