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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spell — magic
  8. object — a thing
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. field — for sport
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — farmland
  17. ground — a position
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — crushed
  21. object — an aim
  22. fine — all right
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. field — a subject

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