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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fine — all right
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. fine — high quality
  6. chip — for betting
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. field — for sport
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — of law
  16. field — farmland
  17. pitch — completely
  18. field — a subject
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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