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: fine · snap · lie · lash · field · mate · bear · pass

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. field — farmland
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — for sport
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mate — a friend
  21. pass — a permit
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. snap — to click
  24. lie — to recline

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