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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. field — farmland
  4. scale — size or range
  5. rule — a law
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. field — a subject
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cell — in biology
  10. face — to point toward
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a dance
  17. ball — a great time
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. field — for sport
  21. rash — hasty
  22. face — to confront
  23. rule — government
  24. scale — in music

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