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: stick · clip · bass · bound · pitcher · drill · field · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. clip — a video
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. clip — to cut
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bound — tied together
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bound — certain
  15. field — for sport
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. field — farmland
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. drill — army training
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. bass — the fish
  24. clip — for paper

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