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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. field — a subject
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — a tin
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. field — farmland
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pop — music
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. staff — employees
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — music
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. staff — a stick
  18. can — to be able to
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pop — to visit
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — soda
  24. rock — a stone

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