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: last · field · rush · saw · club · spell · staff · stock

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. spell — a short time
  3. last — finally
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for golf
  7. field — for sport
  8. saw — the tool
  9. stock — shares
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spell — letters
  12. club — a group
  13. staff — employees
  14. last — final
  15. field — a subject
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stock — goods
  19. rush — hurry
  20. spell — magic
  21. last — to go on
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. saw — the tool
  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