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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. ball — a great time
  3. scale — size or range
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. field — for sport
  7. staff — employees
  8. scale — in music
  9. pit — in a race
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. field — farmland
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a dance

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