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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. field — for sport
  3. land — to come down
  4. land — ground
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. key — in music
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. field — a subject
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — a measure
  22. bear — the animal
  23. key — for a lock
  24. field — farmland

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