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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. land — to come down
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — a subject
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — a position
  14. game — a match
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — music
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. field — for sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. ground — the earth
  22. rock — a stone
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fan — to cool the 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