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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. field — a subject
  3. field — farmland
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. race — the arms race
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. land — to come down
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. vault — a safe
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. race — a contest
  13. land — a country
  14. race — humankind
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. field — for sport
  22. snap — to click
  23. land — ground
  24. fork — to eat with

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