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: sharp · rock · drill · field · season · spring · straw · fan

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rock — music
  4. field — for sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. drill — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. field — a subject
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rock — a stone
  13. season — in sport
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. spring — a coil
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spring — of water
  20. field — farmland
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. straw — a straw man

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