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: kid · pass · trunk · jam · field · net · mark · temple

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. kid — to tease
  3. net — after costs
  4. field — a subject
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. field — farmland
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mark — a grade
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. mark — a trace
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. kid — child
  23. net — in sport
  24. pass — a permit

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