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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. firm — decided
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. court — of law
  5. firm — a company
  6. board — a committee
  7. can — a tin
  8. court — for sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. board — to get on
  11. court — of a king
  12. field — farmland
  13. band — a ring
  14. firm — steady
  15. field — for sport
  16. can — to be able to
  17. can — a tin
  18. band — a music group

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