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 116 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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. pound — a weight
  3. firm — decided
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — for sport
  6. last — final
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bound — certain
  14. last — to go on
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — a company
  21. last — finally
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. field — a subject

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