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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. season — of the year
  3. mug — a cup
  4. spring — of water
  5. field — farmland
  6. drill — a practice
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. field — a subject
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. mug — a face
  13. field — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. season — in sport
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. drill — army training
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spring — the season
  22. mug — to rob
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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