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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. track — a path
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. field — a subject
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. tube — the underground
  14. tube — a container
  15. prune — to trim
  16. field — for sport
  17. track — a song
  18. rash — a series
  19. firm — decided
  20. field — farmland
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — steady
  24. rash — hasty

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