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 116 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — decided
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. field — a subject
  5. branch — a division
  6. bound — certain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — for sport
  12. bear — the animal
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wake — a trail
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — tied together
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bear — the animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — farmland
  24. racket — a loud noise

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