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: land · ruler · wave · bulb · ground · mug · field · chip

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. mug — a face
  4. land — ground
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. land — to come down
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. mug — a cup
  9. chip — for betting
  10. mug — to rob
  11. land — a country
  12. field — farmland
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. field — a subject
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bulb — for light

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