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 124 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. roll — a cake
  4. tube — a container
  5. field — farmland
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. ball — a great time
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — for sport
  22. tube — the underground
  23. saw — the tool
  24. temple — side of the head

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