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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a grade
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. field — a subject
  6. field — farmland
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. firm — a company
  16. press — a publisher
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. firm — steady
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. calf — a young animal

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