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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · fall · fork · field · pound · wind

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. field — a subject
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. fall — to drop
  9. club — for dancing
  10. wind — moving air
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. field — for sport

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