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: chip · temple · swing · bear · current · field · tear · leaves

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. tear — to rip
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. current — of water
  9. bear — the animal
  10. field — a subject
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. bear — the animal
  13. swing — music
  14. chip — for betting
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. current — happening now
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. current — electric
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. field — farmland
  21. swing — to play on
  22. field — for sport
  23. chip — to eat
  24. swing — in golf

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