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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. field — farmland
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. field — for sport
  6. march — music
  7. march — the month
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. mark — a grade
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. field — a subject
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. march — the month
  20. charge — a price
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — electricity
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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