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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. field — for sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. chip — for betting
  5. game — a match
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — of the year
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fine — all right
  11. field — a subject
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. stem — to come from
  18. chip — to eat
  19. object — an aim
  20. object — a thing
  21. field — farmland
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — in a computer

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