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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. face — to point toward
  3. field — farmland
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. object — an aim
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. object — a thing
  11. field — for sport
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cold — an illness
  14. object — to protest
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spell — letters
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bound — certain
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. field — a subject
  22. bound — tied together
  23. face — to confront
  24. spell — magic

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