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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — of water
  3. bank — of a river
  4. hand — help
  5. field — farmland
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. spring — the season
  8. charge — a price
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. craft — a skill
  12. field — a subject
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bank — for money
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. craft — boats
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — for sport
  24. temple — a place of worship

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