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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  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. last — finally
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. last — final
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. wake — a trail
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — a permit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — a subject
  16. net — after costs
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. last — to go on
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. pass — to succeed
  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