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. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. ground — the earth
  3. field — a subject
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bound — certain
  9. press — to push
  10. can — a tin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — a tool
  13. can — a tin
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bound — tied together
  16. press — a publisher
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. can — to be able to
  19. bound — obliged
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. press — newspapers
  22. perch — the fish
  23. field — for sport
  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