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: wound · bat · fork · sharp · trunk · craft · branch · field

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. field — for sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. sharp — clever
  8. craft — a skill
  9. field — farmland
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. craft — boats
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fork — in a road
  21. field — a subject
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bat — the animal

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