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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. staff — employees
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mine — for digging
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. firm — steady
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. staff — employees
  11. bound — tied together
  12. shower — to wash
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — to confront
  15. staff — a stick
  16. field — for sport
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — decided
  20. face — to point toward
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. bound — certain
  23. firm — a company
  24. trunk — of a car

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