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: season · key · fork · field · game · saw · nail · mine

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fork — in a road
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. field — farmland
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. key — in music
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. key — for a lock
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. field — a subject
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. saw — the tool
  21. season — of the year
  22. game — wild animals
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. game — a match

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