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 116 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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 — to put up with
  2. present — a gift
  3. race — humankind
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. race — the arms race
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. field — a subject
  12. present — there
  13. field — farmland
  14. pass — a permit
  15. charge — a price
  16. sharp — clever
  17. charge — in control
  18. bear — the animal
  19. race — a contest
  20. present — the time now
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. field — for sport
  23. pass — to spend time
  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