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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. field — farmland
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — a group
  5. suit — to fit
  6. race — a contest
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bear — the animal
  10. race — humankind
  11. scale — size or range
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. scale — in music
  18. suit — clothes
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rush — hurry
  21. race — the arms race
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — for golf

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