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: field · rest · prune · pop · current · cabinet · bear · charge

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rest — what's left
  3. current — of water
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — happening now
  6. rest — a break
  7. charge — in control
  8. pop — soda
  9. field — for sport
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pop — to visit
  12. charge — a price
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — music
  17. current — electric
  18. prune — to trim
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. field — farmland
  24. charge — electricity

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