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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. field — farmland
  4. mark — a trace
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. file — a document
  7. field — for sport
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. file — a tool
  10. vault — a safe
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. spell — a short time
  13. file — a line of people
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mark — a grade
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — letters
  19. saw — the tool
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. saw — the tool
  22. spell — magic
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. field — a subject

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