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 116 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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rock — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. saw — the tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — a subject
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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