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 120 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: cell · saw · lie · stick · field · pound · key · fork

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — to recline
  4. fork — in a road
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. field — for sport
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. key — in music
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. field — a subject
  14. key — the most important part
  15. saw — the tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. field — farmland
  22. cell — in biology
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cell — a phone

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