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 · staff · ruler · stock · drill · face · tear · nail

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. tear — from crying
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. field — farmland
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stock — goods
  14. staff — a stick
  15. field — a subject
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. tear — from crying
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — part of the head
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. field — for sport
  22. tear — to rip
  23. stock — shares
  24. drill — army training

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