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: field · mug · land · stick · row · ground · roll · suit

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. land — to come down
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — a line
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — a country
  7. field — a subject
  8. suit — clothes
  9. row — to paddle
  10. field — farmland
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. roll — a list
  14. land — ground
  15. ground — the earth
  16. field — for sport
  17. ground — crushed
  18. suit — in cards
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — a cup
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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