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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. field — for sport
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rule — a law
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. fork — in a road
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. field — farmland
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. rule — government
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bark — to shout
  24. racket — for tennis

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