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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. field — farmland
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bank — for money
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bulb — for light
  7. field — for sport
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. bank — of a river
  16. field — a subject
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. mark — a trace
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bank — for money
  23. bat — the animal
  24. mark — to pay attention

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