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 · lean · stem · mine · mouse · can · bear · shower

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. field — for sport
  8. can — to be able to
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. can — a tin
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. shower — to wash
  19. can — a tin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. field — farmland
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — to come from

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