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 · key · march · cap · leaves · pit · bark · plane

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. field — a subject
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — a tool
  5. key — the most important part
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. pit — a hole
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. march — music
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. field — farmland
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. key — for a lock
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bark — to shout
  20. pit — in a race
  21. field — for sport
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. march — the month

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