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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. field — farmland
  4. staff — employees
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. field — a subject
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. field — for sport
  13. bat — the animal
  14. craft — boats
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — music
  18. craft — a skill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — a stone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. bat — for baseball

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