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 120 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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. bound — tied together
  3. field — for sport
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. bound — obliged
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. branch — a division
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bound — certain
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. field — farmland
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bulb — for light
  23. field — a subject
  24. leaves — to go away

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