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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. land — to come down
  3. branch — a division
  4. bore — to tire
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — ground
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. field — for sport
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. land — a country
  14. bound — certain
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. rash — a series
  17. field — farmland
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — the sport
  20. rash — hasty
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. field — a subject
  24. rash — on the skin

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