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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. bear — the animal
  3. branch — a division
  4. current — happening now
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. field — farmland
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pop — music
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. chair — a leader
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pop — soda
  20. current — of water
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bear — the animal
  23. current — electric
  24. field — a subject

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