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: object · wound · mark · bound · field · dip · can · pop

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bound — obliged
  6. wound — an injury
  7. pop — to visit
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. object — a thing
  11. bound — certain
  12. field — for sport
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. object — to protest
  17. object — an aim
  18. pop — soda
  19. bound — tied together
  20. field — farmland
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mark — a grade
  24. dip — a sauce

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