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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bound — certain
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — tied together
  5. chest — of your body
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. field — a subject
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bound — obliged
  13. field — farmland
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chest — a box
  16. chest — of your body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — to grow
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — for sport

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