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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lash · bear · fine · field · pop · lie · chest · ball

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  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. chest — of your body
  2. chest — of your body
  3. field — for sport
  4. pop — music
  5. chest — a box
  6. field — a subject
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. field — farmland
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — to visit
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pop — soda
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fine — all right
  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