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 120 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: season · face · rock · tube · pit · prune · field · bay

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. tube — the underground
  4. season — in sport
  5. rock — a stone
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. prune — to trim
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. face — to confront
  10. field — farmland
  11. rock — music
  12. pit — in a race
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. prune — to trim
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. tube — a container
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. field — a subject
  24. face — to point toward

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