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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bank — of a river
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — a price
  8. bank — for money
  9. fall — the season
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bank — for money
  12. fall — to drop
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. court — of law
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. field — for sport
  21. pass — a permit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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