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: track · season · wind · hide · pound · field · lash · fork

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. field — farmland
  5. track — to keep track
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. wind — moving air
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. season — of the year
  13. track — a song
  14. season — in sport
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — a path
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. fork — in a road

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