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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bank — for money
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. branch — a division
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — for light
  8. hand — in cards
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bulb — for light
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. hand — help
  13. cue — a hint
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. cue — a signal
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mark — a trace
  22. field — a subject
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. field — for sport

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