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: spring · date · drill · kick · season · scale · nail · field

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. kick — in football
  3. spring — a coil
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. field — a subject
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. scale — size or range
  10. date — the fruit
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. drill — the tool
  14. season — in sport
  15. field — for sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. spring — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. scale — in music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. drill — army training
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. season — of the year

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