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 116 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 very handy with a ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. wound — an injury
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. degree — temperature
  6. land — ground
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bear — the animal
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. land — a country
  12. field — farmland
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. wound — an injury
  16. degree — an amount
  17. degree — from a university
  18. field — for sport
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. land — to come down
  24. field — a subject

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