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 116 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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — a subject
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. land — to come down
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. land — ground
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — in a road
  12. kid — to tease
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pass — a permit
  17. land — a country
  18. field — farmland
  19. pound — a weight
  20. staff — employees
  21. kid — child
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. staff — a stick
  24. field — for sport

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