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 120 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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bass — the fish
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. mate — to breed
  7. key — for a lock
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — for sport
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. branch — a division
  15. key — the most important part
  16. firm — steady
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bass — low music
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. key — in music
  21. mate — a partner
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. firm — decided

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