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: kid · land · sharp · field · craft · cue · mine · vault

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. field — a subject
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. craft — boats
  5. land — a country
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. cue — a signal
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. kid — child
  13. mine — for digging
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a hint
  17. vault — a safe
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. craft — a skill
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. land — ground
  22. land — to come down
  23. kid — to tease
  24. cue — for pool

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