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: nail · fan · drill · board · kid · degree · field · current

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. current — of water
  8. current — happening now
  9. kid — child
  10. board — to get on
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. drill — a practice
  14. field — for sport
  15. board — a committee
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — an amount
  18. field — a subject
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. kid — to tease
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — temperature
  24. field — farmland

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