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: season · cap · lie · field · mate · firm · ball · kid

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. firm — decided
  5. cap — a hat
  6. season — of the year
  7. field — farmland
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. mate — to breed
  10. field — a subject
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. ball — a great time
  13. kid — child
  14. season — in sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. firm — steady
  18. lie — to recline
  19. field — for sport
  20. cap — a lid
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. firm — a company
  23. cap — of ice
  24. mate — a friend

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