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: field · cell · tear · mark · mine · cue · board · pitcher

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. tear — from crying
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cue — for pool
  15. cell — a phone
  16. field — farmland
  17. mine — for digging
  18. board — a committee
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. board — to get on
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. cue — a signal

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