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: straw · file · leaves · vault · stick · field · patient · fine

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. vault — a safe
  3. file — a document
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. field — farmland
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fine — all right
  8. field — for sport
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. file — a line of people
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. fine — high quality
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a tool
  21. field — a subject
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. patient — a sick person

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