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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — for sport
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — boats
  8. firm — decided
  9. field — farmland
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. mine — for digging
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a great time

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