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: nail · content · fine · field · stick · band · rest · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. field — a subject
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. wake — a trail
  9. content — the amount
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. field — for sport
  12. content — happy
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. rest — a break
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. fine — all right
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. field — farmland
  21. fine — high quality
  22. band — a ring
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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