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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. row — to paddle
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cell — in biology
  6. row — a line
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — a phone
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. land — to come down
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. field — for sport
  19. lie — to recline
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. lie — an untruth

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