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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. charge — a price
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. band — a music group
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — to breed
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. charge — in control
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. cold — an illness
  13. key — in music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. field — for sport
  17. band — a ring
  18. deal — to handle
  19. key — for a lock
  20. field — a subject
  21. charge — electricity
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. cold — not warm
  24. mate — a partner

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