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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. key — the most important part
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. key — for a lock
  5. field — for sport
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — to bend
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. field — farmland
  12. mine — for digging
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bear — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. key — in music
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lean — thin
  24. lean — to rest against

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