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: can · ground · wax · field · lie · temple · chest · wound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. can — a tin
  4. chest — a box
  5. ground — a position
  6. field — a subject
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wound — an injury
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. field — farmland
  11. field — for sport
  12. can — a tin
  13. ground — the earth
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. can — to be able to
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wax — to grow
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. ground — crushed

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