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 · bay · mate · land · stick · bass · chest · wave

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. chest — a box
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. land — to come down
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. field — a subject
  10. bass — low music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. land — ground
  17. mate — to breed
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. land — a country
  21. field — for sport
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. chest — of your body

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