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: track · field · lean · degree · roll · row · season · cell

  1. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. field — a subject
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. field — for sport
  7. lean — thin
  8. track — a song
  9. lean — to bend
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. degree — an amount
  12. roll — a list
  13. track — a path
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cell — in biology
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cell — a phone
  18. track — to keep track
  19. season — of the year
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. row — a line
  22. season — in sport
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. field — farmland

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