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: club · field · stock · sharp · plane · wound · bore · lie

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. sharp — clever
  3. plane — a tool
  4. field — a subject
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stock — goods
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — to tire
  11. wound — an injury
  12. club — for golf
  13. wound — an injury
  14. field — farmland
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. club — for dancing
  19. stock — shares
  20. club — a group
  21. lie — to recline
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. plane — in geometry

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