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: bay · field · tear · hide · bat · wave · branch · bear

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — a subject
  4. field — for sport
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. tear — to rip
  14. tear — from crying
  15. branch — a division
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bat — the animal
  20. field — farmland
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bear — the animal
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bear — to put up with

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