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: field · wound · fine · prune · chest · mouse · mark · staff

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. chest — a box
  3. staff — employees
  4. chest — of your body
  5. staff — employees
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mark — a grade
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — for sport
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. field — a subject
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. field — farmland
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. fine — all right
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chest — of your body
  21. prune — to trim
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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