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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. field — a subject
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spring — of water
  6. spring — a coil
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. field — for sport
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pass — a permit
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — a list
  15. field — farmland
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. spring — the season
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to succeed

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