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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. mine — for digging
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bear — the animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. swing — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fall — the season
  12. mug — to rob
  13. field — for sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — in golf
  17. bear — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. field — a subject
  20. fall — to drop
  21. mug — a face
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fall — to drop
  24. mug — a cup

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