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 · date · ball · last · stick · jam · field · fan

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. field — a subject
  3. last — finally
  4. pit — a hole
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. ball — a great time
  13. date — the fruit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. field — farmland
  18. ball — a dance
  19. field — for sport
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fan — a supporter

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