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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to tire
  6. field — a subject
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. rash — hasty
  10. pitch — completely
  11. bore — to drill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. game — a match
  17. field — farmland
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. craft — boats

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