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 ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. field — for sport
  3. track — a song
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — in sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. field — farmland
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. season — of the year
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. track — a path
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. plane — a tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. bear — the animal
  24. season — to add flavour

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