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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — for sport
  3. field — a subject
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. spell — a short time
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spell — magic
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. court — of a king
  11. club — a group
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. spell — letters
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. court — of law
  18. mug — a cup
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. field — farmland
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — for golf
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. ball — a dance

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