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: face · field · roll · season · fan · tear · pass · mate

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — a list
  5. season — in sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tear — to rip
  12. field — for sport
  13. face — to confront
  14. tear — from crying
  15. face — part of the head
  16. field — farmland
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. roll — a cake
  19. tear — from crying
  20. season — of the year
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. roll — on a roll

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