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: file · field · branch · march · suit · scale · drill · sharp

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — size or range
  5. sharp — clever
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. file — a line of people
  12. scale — in music
  13. suit — to fit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. march — the month
  17. file — a tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. file — a document
  20. march — music
  21. suit — in cards
  22. field — farmland
  23. march — the month
  24. sharp — with an edge

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