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: patient · bay · can · chest · field · plane · lie · mate

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mate — a partner
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mate — a friend
  8. field — a subject
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. field — farmland
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — for sport
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. chest — of your body
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — a box
  24. mate — to breed

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