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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. toast — bread
  3. field — for sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. field — farmland
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. bear — the animal
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stand — to bear
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. field — a subject
  15. face — to point toward
  16. mate — a friend
  17. face — to confront
  18. dip — to sink
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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