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 ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. toast — bread
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. field — for sport
  6. drill — a practice
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. track — a path
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. drill — army training
  12. field — a subject
  13. track — to keep track
  14. field — farmland
  15. season — in sport
  16. drill — the tool
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. spell — letters
  19. track — a song
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. season — of the year
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — to keep secret

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