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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. field — for sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. field — farmland
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. field — a subject
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. rest — what's left
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. content — happy
  21. content — the amount
  22. stand — to bear
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. racket — a loud noise

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