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: can · pit · saw · toast · field · lie · land · tear

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. land — a country
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pit — a hole
  6. land — to come down
  7. lie — to recline
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. tear — from crying
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. can — a tin
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. land — ground
  19. field — a subject
  20. tear — to rip
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — to be able to
  24. lie — an untruth

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