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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — a measure
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. bore — to tire
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. field — a subject
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. field — farmland
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. season — in sport
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — for sport
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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