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: club · toast · cabinet · drill · kick · field · ground · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. ground — a position
  3. toast — bread
  4. field — a subject
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — a practice
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. field — farmland
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ground — the earth
  11. drill — army training
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. club — a group
  17. field — for sport
  18. club — for golf
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. kick — in football
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cabinet — ministers

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