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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — boats
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — steady
  6. field — for sport
  7. bore — to drill
  8. staff — employees
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spell — magic
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. staff — a stick
  16. firm — a company
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. staff — employees
  19. spell — letters
  20. field — farmland
  21. firm — decided
  22. kid — child
  23. bore — to tire
  24. craft — a skill

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