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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. field — for sport
  5. clip — for paper
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. field — a subject
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. branch — a division
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. clip — to cut
  15. craft — boats
  16. net — for catching
  17. clip — a video
  18. field — farmland
  19. net — in sport
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — after costs
  22. craft — a skill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. lash — an eyelash

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