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: field · current · last · scale · bore · march · mine · trunk

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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. last — finally
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. field — farmland
  7. current — electric
  8. march — music
  9. last — to go on
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. scale — in music
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. march — the month
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — for digging
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. current — of water
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. last — final
  20. march — the month
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. scale — size or range
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — to tire

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