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: pit · ground · rule · field · key · band · rest · pop

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. band — a music group
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. pit — a hole
  6. band — a ring
  7. field — farmland
  8. rest — a break
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — the earth
  12. key — the most important part
  13. field — for sport
  14. key — for a lock
  15. rest — what's left
  16. ground — a position
  17. pop — music
  18. key — in music
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pit — in a race
  21. rule — government
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rule — a law

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