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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — a subject
  5. stem — to come from
  6. charge — in control
  7. field — for sport
  8. bank — for money
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. bank — for money
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. band — a ring
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hand — help
  21. ball — a dance
  22. field — farmland
  23. charge — electricity
  24. hand — in cards

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