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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. drill — army training
  3. kid — child
  4. field — for sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. present — the time now
  7. drill — the tool
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. field — a subject
  10. bulb — for light
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bulb — for light
  17. sharp — clever
  18. present — there
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. mark — a trace
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. present — a gift
  24. kid — to tease

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