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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — for sport
  8. branch — a division
  9. face — to confront
  10. bore — to drill
  11. craft — a skill
  12. face — part of the head
  13. object — to protest
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wound — an injury
  17. face — to point toward
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bore — to tire
  20. wound — an injury
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. craft — boats
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. field — a subject

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