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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. current — happening now
  3. current — of water
  4. drill — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — letters
  7. season — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — electric
  10. drill — army training
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. spell — magic
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. field — a subject
  17. spell — a short time
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. field — for sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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