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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. firm — steady
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. march — the month
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. march — the month
  10. rest — a break
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. rest — what's left
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. field — a subject
  19. firm — decided
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. march — music
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. field — for sport
  24. bass — low music

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