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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. rock — music
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. field — a subject
  9. field — for sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. deal — to handle
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. field — farmland
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. saw — the tool
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ball — a dance

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