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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bound — obliged
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. hand — help
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. face — to confront
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — certain
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stem — to come from
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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