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: bore · bass · field · suit · hide · pit · lash · tear

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. pit — a hole
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. tear — from crying
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. bass — low music
  9. field — a subject
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bore — to drill
  14. suit — to fit
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bore — to tire
  20. suit — clothes
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tear — to rip
  23. field — farmland
  24. tear — from crying

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