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 120 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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. vault — a safe
  3. mate — to breed
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mate — a friend
  7. field — for sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. field — farmland
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wound — an injury
  22. can — a tin
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. ball — a dance

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