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: sharp · date · plane · can · wound · rush · field · foot

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — for sport
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. can — a tin
  8. date — the fruit
  9. field — farmland
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. can — a tin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. plane — a tool
  22. can — to be able to
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. foot — a measure

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