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 124 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — a subject
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. branch — a division
  10. firm — steady
  11. saw — the tool
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. firm — a company
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. bore — to tire
  21. firm — decided
  22. bore — to drill
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. saw — the tool

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