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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. date — the fruit
  3. field — farmland
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — an aim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. file — a document
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — high quality
  11. object — to protest
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. field — for sport
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. file — a line of people
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. fine — all right
  20. object — a thing
  21. plane — a tool
  22. file — a tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. plane — in geometry

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