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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bound — obliged
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. charge — electricity
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. hand — in cards
  8. field — farmland
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bound — tied together
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — certain
  13. charge — in control
  14. field — for sport
  15. charge — a price
  16. hand — help
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — for a hammer

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