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: field · land · race · nail · bay · temple · wound · roll

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. field — for sport
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. wound — an injury
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. field — farmland
  9. roll — a list
  10. land — to come down
  11. race — humankind
  12. land — a country
  13. land — ground
  14. field — a subject
  15. race — a contest
  16. roll — a cake
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wound — an injury
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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