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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. field — farmland
  5. can — to be able to
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. pop — soda
  9. mine — for digging
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. shower — to wash
  12. pop — music
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pop — to visit
  16. can — a tin
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. suit — clothes
  19. deal — to handle
  20. shower — rain
  21. suit — in cards
  22. suit — to fit
  23. field — for sport
  24. can — a tin

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