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: trunk · stick · present · cap · field · roll · nail · coach

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. present — there
  8. cap — of ice
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. present — a gift
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. cap — a hat
  14. cap — a lid
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. present — the time now
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — a cake
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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