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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. can — a tin
  5. mug — a cup
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mug — a face
  8. stem — to come from
  9. field — for sport
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bulb — for light
  12. can — to be able to
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bulb — for light
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mug — to rob
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. can — a tin
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bulb — of a plant

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