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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fine — high quality
  3. fine — all right
  4. field — farmland
  5. clip — for paper
  6. ground — a position
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. bound — certain
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. rock — music
  15. clip — to cut
  16. ground — the earth
  17. clip — a video
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. field — for sport
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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