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: stock · sharp · saw · fork · field · cue · plane · straw

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stock — shares
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. cue — a signal
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. sharp — clever
  14. saw — the tool
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — in a road
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. stock — goods
  22. field — a subject
  23. cue — for pool
  24. plane — in geometry

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