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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — of water
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. field — a subject
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. rock — music
  17. face — part of the head
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. mark — a grade
  20. field — for sport
  21. bulb — for light
  22. face — to confront
  23. field — farmland
  24. spring — a coil

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