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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. vault — a safe
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. row — a line
  8. field — farmland
  9. bore — to drill
  10. key — the most important part
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bore — to tire
  14. suit — in cards
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — to fit
  18. row — to paddle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. key — for a lock
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — in music
  24. field — for sport

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