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: field · swing · staff · craft · fine · dip · snap · cap

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. field — a subject
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. staff — a stick
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fine — high quality
  11. field — farmland
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. field — for sport
  14. cap — a lid
  15. staff — employees
  16. swing — music
  17. cap — a hat
  18. swing — to play on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. staff — employees
  22. fine — all right
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. dip — to sink

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