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 116 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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. field — farmland
  3. rock — music
  4. lean — thin
  5. craft — a skill
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. craft — boats
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. sharp — clever
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rest — a break
  17. field — a subject
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. mark — a grade
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — exactly

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