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: wake · pitch · fan · bound · arm · bay · field · ground

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. field — farmland
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wake — a trail
  6. bound — tied together
  7. field — for sport
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — the earth
  17. field — a subject
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. ground — a position
  24. bound — certain

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