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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — a subject
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. field — for sport
  6. mug — to rob
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. mate — a friend
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a ring
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. rule — government
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mug — a face
  15. band — a music group
  16. mate — a partner
  17. rule — a law
  18. spell — letters
  19. mug — a cup
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. mate — to breed
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. spell — a short time
  24. field — farmland

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