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: drill · firm · leaves · fan · field · lie · fork · hand

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. field — for sport
  4. drill — the tool
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. firm — decided
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. drill — army training
  11. hand — help
  12. firm — a company
  13. fork — in a road
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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