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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. row — to paddle
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. game — wild animals
  9. craft — a skill
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. field — for sport
  15. field — a subject
  16. craft — boats
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. row — a line
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. saw — the tool
  21. game — a match
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. vault — a safe
  24. pitcher — a jug

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