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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. field — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. court — of law
  6. file — a document
  7. file — a line of people
  8. pitch — completely
  9. field — a subject
  10. fork — in a road
  11. court — of a king
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. net — after costs
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. net — in sport
  16. field — farmland
  17. net — for catching
  18. current — happening now
  19. board — to get on
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. board — a committee
  22. current — of water
  23. court — for sport
  24. fork — to eat with

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