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 · deal · field · lean · court · wake · mine · pop

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. court — of law
  3. field — for sport
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. face — part of the head
  8. court — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. court — of a king
  11. mine — for digging
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — a trail
  14. lean — to bend
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pop — to visit
  19. field — a subject
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pop — music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pop — soda
  24. lean — thin

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