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: wound · field · face · toast · fine · drill · bass · rule

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — all right
  3. field — a subject
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rule — a law
  10. rule — government
  11. field — for sport
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. field — farmland
  14. drill — army training
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bass — low music
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — a practice
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — bread

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