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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. mate — a friend
  3. field — for sport
  4. bass — the fish
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. field — a subject
  8. tear — from crying
  9. shower — rain
  10. season — in sport
  11. fall — the season
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. field — farmland
  14. season — of the year
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bass — low music
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. fall — to drop
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bound — certain

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