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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — of a king
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. field — farmland
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. mate — to breed
  9. ball — a great time
  10. field — a subject
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — for sport
  14. court — for sport
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — completely
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. court — of law
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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