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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. field — for sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. staff — employees
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — letters
  7. wind — moving air
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. field — a subject
  11. field — farmland
  12. fork — in a road
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bound — tied together
  15. spell — magic
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. staff — a stick
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. staff — employees
  24. wind — moving air

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