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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — a subject
  3. club — for golf
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — a leader
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. land — a country
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. plane — a tool
  12. club — for dancing
  13. field — for sport
  14. last — finally
  15. last — final
  16. land — ground
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. club — a group
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. land — to come down

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