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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — to breed
  3. net — after costs
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — of the year
  6. lie — to recline
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — farmland
  9. mate — a friend
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. mate — a partner
  13. net — for catching
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. field — for sport
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. net — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour

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