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: can · fan · track · land · field · pop · mug · tube

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. tube — a container
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pop — to visit
  7. land — a country
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — soda
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. mug — a cup
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. can — a tin
  17. pop — music
  18. can — a tin
  19. field — for sport
  20. track — to keep track
  21. track — a song
  22. field — farmland
  23. tube — the underground
  24. track — a path

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