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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. land — to come down
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — ground
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — to fit
  9. field — for sport
  10. field — farmland
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. field — a subject
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. bear — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. bat — for baseball

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