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: arm · field · drill · hand · current · coach · club · pitcher

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. drill — the tool
  3. field — for sport
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. current — of water
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. hand — help
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. field — farmland
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. club — for dancing
  17. current — electric
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. club — a group
  20. club — for golf
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. field — a subject
  24. arm — 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