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 came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. rest — a break
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — farmland
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. face — to point toward
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. face — to confront
  15. field — a subject
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. face — part of the head
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — for sport
  23. craft — boats
  24. rest — what's left

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