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: mate · bear · vault · field · rule · bass · patient · root

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rule — a law
  3. bass — low music
  4. mate — a partner
  5. field — for sport
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. field — a subject
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mate — a friend
  11. vault — a safe
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. field — farmland
  16. rule — government
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. bass — the fish
  21. mate — to breed
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. rule — to rule out

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