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: bark · field · spell · lie · temple · scale · firm · pop

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. field — a subject
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. scale — in music
  5. spell — magic
  6. pop — to visit
  7. pop — music
  8. firm — decided
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. field — farmland
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — letters
  14. bark — to shout
  15. firm — steady
  16. scale — size or range
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pop — soda
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. firm — a company
  22. field — for sport
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. scale — for weighing

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