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 · ball · press · snap · field · cue · fall · fan

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. press — a publisher
  4. field — for sport
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. press — to push
  7. track — a song
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. cue — a signal
  15. fall — to drop
  16. snap — to click
  17. track — a path
  18. cue — a hint
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cue — for pool
  21. track — to keep track
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. field — farmland
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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