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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mate — a partner
  5. field — farmland
  6. mug — to rob
  7. wound — an injury
  8. field — a subject
  9. bank — for money
  10. rule — government
  11. bank — for money
  12. rule — a law
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bank — of a river
  17. mug — a face
  18. wound — an injury

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