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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. pit — in a race
  3. field — farmland
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. field — for sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. cue — a hint
  11. degree — from a university
  12. staff — employees
  13. pit — a hole
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. staff — a stick
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. field — a subject
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. vault — a safe
  20. craft — boats
  21. degree — temperature
  22. cue — for pool
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. degree — an amount

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