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: ball · prune · suit · game · field · tear · saw · safe

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a dance
  8. suit — clothes
  9. game — wild animals
  10. field — a subject
  11. suit — in cards
  12. tear — to rip
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. game — a match
  15. tear — from crying
  16. field — farmland
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. ball — a great time
  20. tear — from crying
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. suit — to fit
  24. prune — to trim

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