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 116 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: field · craft · object · net · bat · rush · ground · current

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bat — the animal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. net — for catching
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. ground — a position
  7. field — for sport
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. net — after costs
  11. field — a subject
  12. current — of water
  13. field — farmland
  14. current — electric
  15. net — in sport
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — to protest
  20. craft — boats
  21. object — a thing
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. craft — a skill
  24. rush — to hurry

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