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 120 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: fine · bowl · pass · field · land · lie · stick · kick

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. field — a subject
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. land — to come down
  11. lie — to recline
  12. field — for sport
  13. field — farmland
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fine — high quality
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. kick — in football
  22. land — a country
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. fine — all right

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