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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — farmland
  5. fine — all right
  6. saw — the tool
  7. wind — moving air
  8. field — for sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fine — high quality
  13. mug — a face
  14. track — a song
  15. mug — a cup
  16. mug — to rob
  17. saw — the tool
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — to drop
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wind — moving air

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