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: field · cue · bank · safe · hide · club · pound · face

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. field — a subject
  3. face — part of the head
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pound — a weight
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bank — for money
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. cue — for pool
  13. bank — for money
  14. field — farmland
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. face — to confront
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — a group
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. club — for dancing
  22. field — for sport
  23. bank — of a river
  24. club — for golf

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