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: mark · straw · roll · rush · stick · field · bear · current

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mark — a grade
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. current — happening now
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. field — a subject
  14. roll — a cake
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. field — for sport
  17. bear — the animal
  18. current — electric
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. current — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. mark — a trace

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