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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. field — for sport
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. field — farmland
  8. tear — from crying
  9. toast — bread
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. dip — a sauce

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