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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. field — a subject
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. field — farmland
  6. fine — all right
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. firm — decided
  10. toast — bread
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. track — to keep track
  13. firm — steady
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. date — the fruit
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. field — for sport
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. track — a song
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. branch — a division
  23. track — a path
  24. date — on the calendar

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