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: scale · fork · field · spring · drill · chip · wound · rock

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. field — a subject
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — of water
  5. rock — a stone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. scale — size or range
  8. chip — to eat
  9. drill — the tool
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. wound — an injury
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. field — farmland
  18. chip — for betting
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. spring — the season
  21. drill — a practice
  22. rock — music
  23. drill — army training
  24. field — for sport

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