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: net · bore · key · calf · mine · hand · field · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. field — farmland
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — in cards
  7. key — in music
  8. field — a subject
  9. hand — help
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. net — for catching
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mine — for digging
  15. key — for a lock
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — after costs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — the most important part

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