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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · band · firm · bear · kick · hide · straw · saw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. band — a ring
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. field — a subject
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. field — farmland
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. firm — steady
  14. saw — the tool
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. field — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. firm — a company
  19. kick — in football
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. firm — decided
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. band — a music group

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