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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bound — obliged
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. last — finally
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rock — music
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. field — farmland
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. dip — to sink
  13. roll — a list
  14. rock — a stone
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bound — certain
  17. last — to go on
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. last — final
  22. field — for sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — of a tree

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