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 116 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: mine · sharp · field · track · fine · bass · race · charge

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. field — a subject
  2. mine — for digging
  3. track — to keep track
  4. race — the arms race
  5. fine — all right
  6. field — for sport
  7. race — humankind
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bass — low music
  11. field — farmland
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. fine — high quality
  14. charge — in control
  15. sharp — clever
  16. race — a contest
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. track — a path
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  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