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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. can — a tin
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mark — a trace
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. can — to be able to
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. shower — to wash
  13. land — a country
  14. shower — rain
  15. spring — the season
  16. mark — a grade
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. land — ground
  19. stand — to bear
  20. can — a tin
  21. field — for sport
  22. field — farmland
  23. spring — of water
  24. land — to come down

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