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: toast · mouse · field · game · pound · fine · fan · face

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. field — a subject
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fine — all right
  10. pound — a weight
  11. game — a match
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. face — part of the head
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. face — to confront
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. toast — bread
  24. game — a kind of play

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