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

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. field — a subject
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. field — for sport
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — of a king
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. field — farmland
  17. bound — tied together
  18. ball — a dance

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