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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. mug — a face
  3. field — for sport
  4. bound — tied together
  5. land — to come down
  6. mug — to rob
  7. root — the cause
  8. wound — an injury
  9. land — a country
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. land — ground
  13. field — a subject
  14. root — of a word
  15. bound — certain
  16. present — the time now
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — there
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wound — an injury
  21. mug — a cup
  22. field — farmland
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bound — obliged

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