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 124 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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — for sport
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. craft — a skill
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. foot — a measure
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. field — farmland
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. field — a subject
  22. pass — a permit
  23. branch — a division
  24. craft — boats

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