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: field · nail · march · stick · toast · vault · mark · game

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. field — a subject
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mark — a trace
  11. march — the month
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. vault — a safe
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. march — music
  20. game — a match
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. toast — bread
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. field — farmland

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