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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. field — a subject
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — farmland
  7. mate — a partner
  8. face — to confront
  9. vault — a safe
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — for sport
  13. wind — moving air
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. face — to point toward
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wind — moving air
  24. hide — to keep secret

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