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 potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. field — farmland
  7. board — to get on
  8. field — a subject
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. chip — for betting
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. perch — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. mark — a grade
  21. field — for sport
  22. mark — a trace
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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