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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. suit — to fit
  3. pop — music
  4. court — of a king
  5. stem — to come from
  6. field — for sport
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. suit — in cards
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — in sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. field — a subject
  16. hand — help
  17. field — farmland
  18. pop — to visit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — of the year
  23. hand — in cards
  24. safe — out of danger

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