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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. spring — the season
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. spring — of water
  6. bear — the animal
  7. firm — steady
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bank — for money
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of law
  12. firm — decided
  13. field — for sport
  14. bank — of a river
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — wild animals
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. court — of a king
  19. field — farmland
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — for sport
  22. field — a subject
  23. bear — the animal
  24. game — a match

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