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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. field — for sport
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bound — certain
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bound — tied together
  10. ground — a position
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stem — to come from
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. ground — the earth
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ground — crushed
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. field — farmland
  24. ruler — for measuring

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