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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. can — a tin
  3. fine — high quality
  4. field — a subject
  5. fine — all right
  6. can — a tin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — to shout
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. field — farmland
  13. can — to be able to
  14. face — to point toward
  15. face — part of the head
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — to confront
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. fine — a penalty

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