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: ball · row · jam · chip · bowl · field · pit · spring

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. spring — of water
  7. pit — a hole
  8. chip — for betting
  9. chip — to eat
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. spring — a coil
  12. ball — a dance
  13. spring — the season
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. field — for sport
  22. row — a line
  23. row — to paddle
  24. jam — in traffic

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