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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. field — for sport
  3. hand — help
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mug — a cup
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a great time
  8. hand — in cards
  9. staff — employees
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. field — a subject
  12. mug — a face
  13. plane — a tool
  14. bulb — for light
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mug — to rob
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. staff — a stick
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. vault — a safe
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bulb — of a plant

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