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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. firm — a company
  3. capital — a city
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. wound — an injury
  7. field — a subject
  8. firm — decided
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. firm — steady
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. field — farmland
  20. season — of the year
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. safe — out of danger

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