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: plane · field · deal · band · fork · mine · squash · mug

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. squash — the sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. field — a subject
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a music group
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — a cup
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. field — for sport
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. field — farmland
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mug — to rob

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