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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bound — tied together
  5. face — to point toward
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. rule — government
  9. bound — obliged
  10. vault — a safe
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bound — certain
  13. lean — thin
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. deal — to handle
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. field — for sport
  19. face — to confront
  20. field — a subject
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. rule — a law
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. deal — a big deal

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