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 116 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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. rock — a stone
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. last — final
  8. field — farmland
  9. craft — boats
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — music
  12. craft — a skill
  13. field — for sport
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. last — finally
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. file — a document
  19. field — a subject
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. bulb — for light

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