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: bear · staff · mate · pop · field · suit · lie · temple

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mate — a friend
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bear — the animal
  6. field — a subject
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. pop — to visit
  9. field — farmland
  10. staff — employees
  11. lie — to recline
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — employees
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pop — soda
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. mate — to breed
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pop — music
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. suit — clothes
  23. bear — the animal
  24. staff — a stick

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