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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. drill — the tool
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. rock — a stone
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. saw — the tool
  8. field — a subject
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. root — the cause
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — for sport
  18. rock — music
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — army training
  21. root — of a word
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. root — of a plant
  24. safe — out of danger

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