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: fan · bear · press · rest · rash · field · wake · pit

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. field — farmland
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — a subject
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rest — a break
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bear — the animal
  20. pit — a hole
  21. field — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. fan — to cool the air

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