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 · pound · net · bass · rest · patient · cabinet · track

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. track — a path
  4. rest — a break
  5. field — for sport
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bass — low music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. net — in sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — a subject
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. track — to keep track
  21. net — for catching
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. track — a song

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