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 116 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: lie · present · ruler · content · field · prune · spell · ball

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. content — the amount
  3. present — the time now
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. present — a gift
  7. field — a subject
  8. field — farmland
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lie — to recline
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a dance
  18. spell — magic
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — to trim
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. field — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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