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: ground · can · field · fan · bear · rash · wind · rule

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. can — a tin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — for sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. can — a tin
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — hasty
  13. field — a subject
  14. rule — a law
  15. can — to be able to
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bear — the animal
  18. ground — the earth
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. rule — government
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. field — farmland

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