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: field · track · land · nail · bark · can · bowl · coach

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. land — ground
  4. land — to come down
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. land — a country
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. can — a tin
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. field — a subject
  16. can — to be able to
  17. field — farmland
  18. track — a path
  19. field — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. track — to keep track

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