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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. land — ground
  3. ball — a dance
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ball — a great time
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. land — to come down
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. field — a subject
  16. land — a country
  17. fall — the season
  18. craft — boats
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — to bear
  22. snap — to click
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. ball — a round shape

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