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 116 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: rest · rock · wound · field · key · spell · mouse · bound

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. key — for a lock
  3. spell — magic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. field — for sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rock — a stone
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. spell — letters
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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