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: pound · field · staff · fork · wake · key · file · object

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. file — a document
  3. field — for sport
  4. file — a line of people
  5. staff — employees
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. file — a tool
  8. fork — in a road
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. field — farmland
  17. object — to protest
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. key — the most important part
  21. staff — employees
  22. object — an aim
  23. wake — a trail
  24. object — a thing

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