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 · lie · charge · wound · field · calf · mark · wake

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. charge — a price
  4. wake — a trail
  5. field — farmland
  6. land — ground
  7. charge — in control
  8. lie — to recline
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. mark — a trace
  12. land — a country
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. charge — electricity
  17. field — for sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. land — to come down
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — a subject
  24. lie — an untruth

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