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: tear · rest · fork · fine · field · toast · mug · jam

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — all right
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. tear — from crying
  7. fine — high quality
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — a cup
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. mug — a face
  15. field — for sport
  16. rest — a break
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. tear — to rip
  19. toast — bread
  20. field — a subject
  21. tear — from crying
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. fork — in a road

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