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: saw · field · march · ball · face · stock · wave · lean

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. stock — goods
  3. face — to point toward
  4. march — the month
  5. march — music
  6. face — to confront
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — for sport
  12. lean — thin
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. saw — the tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. stock — shares
  20. face — part of the head
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. field — farmland
  24. march — the month

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