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: nail · field · fork · bound · swing · root · patient · stick

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bound — obliged
  4. fork — in a road
  5. root — of a plant
  6. swing — music
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. field — a subject
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. root — the cause
  11. field — farmland
  12. bound — tied together
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — certain
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. root — of a word
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. fork — a garden tool

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