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: hand · field · prune · craft · spell · rash · bear · mate

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mate — a friend
  7. spell — a short time
  8. prune — to trim
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mate — to breed
  11. bear — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. field — for sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. prune — to trim
  18. spell — magic
  19. field — farmland
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. mate — a partner
  22. craft — boats
  23. hand — in cards
  24. field — a subject

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