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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. field — a subject
  3. track — a path
  4. field — farmland
  5. ground — a position
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. track — a song
  8. degree — temperature
  9. craft — a skill
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. degree — from a university
  12. club — a group
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. craft — boats
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. field — for sport
  21. ground — crushed
  22. track — to keep track
  23. degree — an amount
  24. ground — the earth

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