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: lie · bulb · ruler · mine · swing · racket · field · stand

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bulb — for light
  8. stand — to bear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. swing — music
  13. swing — to play on
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mine — for digging
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bulb — for light
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — for spectators

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