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: cell · field · wound · fan · nail · row · can · pitcher

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. wound — an injury
  3. can — a tin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. field — a subject
  7. row — a line
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. field — for sport
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. field — farmland
  16. cell — in biology
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. can — a tin
  24. cell — a phone

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