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 116 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 · field · track · lash · degree · wake · bound · spring

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. spring — of water
  3. bear — the animal
  4. degree — temperature
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. spring — a coil
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. field — farmland
  11. degree — from a university
  12. track — a path
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spring — the season
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — an amount
  17. wake — a trail
  18. bound — tied together
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. field — for sport
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. field — a subject

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