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: pit · track · season · trunk · field · foot · dip · racket

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — a path
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. foot — a measure
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. field — a subject
  17. dip — to sink
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. field — farmland
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. field — for sport

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