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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pop — soda
  3. lean — to bend
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. net — for catching
  7. capital — a city
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. net — after costs
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. net — in sport
  12. field — a subject
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. capital — money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lean — thin
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. field — farmland

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