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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. spell — magic
  3. season — of the year
  4. field — for sport
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. season — in sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. cell — in biology
  10. row — a line
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — a short time
  13. field — a subject
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — shares
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. field — farmland
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. cell — a phone

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