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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. fork — in a road
  3. court — for sport
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. pop — to visit
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. field — farmland
  9. field — a subject
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. court — of law
  15. last — to go on
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — a stone
  18. rock — music
  19. pop — music
  20. court — of a king
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — for sport
  24. pop — soda

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