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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. bear — the animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — a stick
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. field — a subject
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. wake — a trail
  13. craft — a skill
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cold — not warm
  16. cold — an illness
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. craft — boats
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — for sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. temple — side of the head

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