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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. field — a subject
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. band — a ring
  8. field — farmland
  9. mine — for digging
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pound — a weight
  14. band — a music group
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. object — an aim
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. object — to protest
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — clever

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