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: rule · bore · coach · track · game · field · cell · swing

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. rule — government
  3. track — a song
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cell — a phone
  7. field — for sport
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. swing — music
  10. field — a subject
  11. game — a match
  12. cell — in biology
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — to drill
  16. field — farmland
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rule — a law
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. track — a path
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. track — to keep track
  24. swing — to play on

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