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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — farmland
  8. bound — certain
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. field — a subject
  11. can — a tin
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. spring — a coil
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bound — tied together
  16. field — for sport
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. spring — the season
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. can — to be able to
  23. saw — the tool
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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