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: rush · capital · deal · bat · land · plane · field · track

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bat — the animal
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. land — a country
  7. land — ground
  8. field — for sport
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — hurry
  12. capital — a city
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. track — to keep track
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. land — to come down
  18. capital — money
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — to handle
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — a song
  23. track — a path
  24. field — farmland

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