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: stand · rash · spring · pass · prune · foot · field · bear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — the animal
  3. prune — to trim
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — for sport
  7. spring — the season
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spring — of water
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pass — a permit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. field — farmland
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. spring — a coil
  19. rash — a series
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. rash — hasty
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. foot — a measure

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