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 120 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 · bear · prune · spring · scale · firm · field · kick

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. scale — size or range
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. firm — decided
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bear — the animal
  8. scale — in music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. bear — the animal
  12. field — for sport
  13. firm — steady
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — a subject
  16. spring — the season
  17. field — farmland
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. prune — to trim
  21. kick — in football
  22. prune — to trim
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. spring — of water

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