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: squash · roll · mate · wound · deal · mark · field · cell

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. field — a subject
  4. mark — a grade
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. wound — an injury
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. field — for sport
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. roll — a list
  11. field — farmland
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mate — a friend
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mark — a trace
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mate — a partner
  20. deal — to handle
  21. mate — to breed
  22. squash — the sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wound — an injury

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