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. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. field — farmland
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. lie — to recline
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. mine — for digging
  7. field — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. field — a subject
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. wax — to grow
  24. fork — in a road

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