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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. field — for sport
  4. wound — an injury
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitch — completely
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. race — humankind
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. field — farmland
  21. hand — help
  22. race — the arms race
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lie — an untruth

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