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: bore · chair · mug · net · plane · field · bark · key

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. net — for catching
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mug — a face
  5. field — for sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. plane — a tool
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mug — to rob
  12. key — for a lock
  13. chair — a leader
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mug — a cup
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bore — to tire
  19. key — the most important part
  20. field — farmland
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. net — in sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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