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: ball · hand · field · face · object · toast · branch · patient

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. toast — bread
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. face — part of the head
  8. ball — a great time
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. face — to point toward
  14. ball — a dance
  15. hand — in cards
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — to protest
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. field — farmland
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. field — for sport
  24. object — a thing

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