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 usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. degree — temperature
  3. suit — to fit
  4. drill — army training
  5. field — a subject
  6. ball — a great time
  7. degree — from a university
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — clothes
  10. degree — an amount
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ball — a dance
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. fork — in a road
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. field — farmland
  22. field — for sport
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. chair — a leader

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