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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. last — finally
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. suit — to fit
  8. field — a subject
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. last — final
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pop — to visit
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. field — for sport
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pop — music
  21. pop — soda
  22. prune — to trim
  23. last — to go on
  24. saw — the tool

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