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

Word bank: branch · fork · chip · mouse · safe · kid · bat · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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. field — farmland
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. chip — for betting
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — to eat
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. field — for sport
  10. branch — a division
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bat — the animal
  15. kid — child
  16. fork — in a road
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  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