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: rush · ground · bound · field · season · snap · land · mark

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. field — a subject
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. snap — to click
  6. ground — crushed
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. season — in sport
  9. bound — tied together
  10. season — of the year
  11. bound — certain
  12. land — ground
  13. bound — obliged
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. land — to come down
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. field — farmland
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. land — a country
  20. rush — hurry
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. field — for sport

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