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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. field — a subject
  3. key — the most important part
  4. court — of a king
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fall — to drop
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bass — the fish
  11. key — in music
  12. pit — a hole
  13. court — of law
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bass — low music
  18. pit — in a race
  19. court — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. fall — the season
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pitcher — a jug

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