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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. bat — the animal
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. field — farmland
  5. land — ground
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. board — a committee
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. land — to come down
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. board — to get on
  23. land — a country
  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