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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. field — farmland
  3. firm — decided
  4. rest — what's left
  5. fork — in a road
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — the animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. last — finally
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. firm — steady
  12. rest — what's left
  13. firm — a company
  14. cap — a hat
  15. lie — to recline
  16. cap — of ice
  17. field — a subject
  18. last — final
  19. cap — a lid
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — to go on
  23. bear — the animal
  24. fork — a garden tool

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