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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  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. ground — a position
  2. field — farmland
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — a subject
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. board — to get on
  8. stock — shares
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. ground — crushed
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. squash — to crush
  18. board — a committee
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. ground — the earth
  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