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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. field — a subject
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. field — for sport
  9. charge — in control
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. charge — a price
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mate — a partner
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — the season
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. mate — to breed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. mate — a friend
  22. fall — to drop
  23. field — farmland
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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