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 · fine · ground · tube · bowl · hide · current · swing

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — the earth
  3. swing — to play on
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. field — a subject
  9. swing — in golf
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. ground — a position
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. field — farmland
  19. swing — music
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — electric
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ground — crushed
  24. tube — in a tire

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