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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. deal — an agreement
  2. prune — to trim
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. file — a line of people
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fork — in a road
  12. deal — to handle
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — completely
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. file — a document
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  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