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: field · track · trunk · craft · date · fork · stick · safe

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. craft — boats
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. track — a song
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. fork — in a road
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. track — to keep track
  15. date — the fruit
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. field — for sport
  19. track — a path
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. craft — a skill
  23. field — farmland
  24. trunk — of a tree

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