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: temple · cabinet · rash · net · press · spring · field · track

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  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. net — for catching
  2. track — a path
  3. net — in sport
  4. rash — hasty
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. track — a song
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. field — farmland
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spring — a coil
  16. track — to keep track
  17. field — for sport
  18. spring — of water
  19. rash — a series
  20. spring — the season
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. net — after costs
  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