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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. hand — in cards
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. field — for sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. suit — clothes
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hand — help
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — to fit

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