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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. mate — a friend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. field — farmland
  8. mate — a partner
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — music
  11. wound — an injury
  12. craft — boats
  13. field — a subject
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wind — moving air
  17. craft — a skill
  18. pop — soda
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. lie — to recline
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pop — to visit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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