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: wound · present · lie · field · bass · last · leaves · dip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. field — for sport
  5. wound — an injury
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. present — a gift
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. present — the time now
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. last — final
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — finally
  19. bass — low music
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — to go on
  22. field — a subject
  23. bass — the fish
  24. wound — an injury

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