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

Word bank: present · content · wind · deal · ball · field · stick · fan

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — there
  3. deal — to handle
  4. field — farmland
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a great time
  9. field — a subject
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. wind — moving air
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. present — a gift
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. ball — a dance
  21. present — the time now
  22. field — for sport
  23. content — the amount
  24. content — happy

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