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 120 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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. key — the most important part
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — what's left
  5. march — music
  6. rest — a break
  7. field — farmland
  8. court — of a king
  9. mug — a cup
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — for sport
  12. mug — a face
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. march — the month
  17. deal — to handle
  18. key — for a lock
  19. court — of law
  20. march — the month
  21. mug — to rob
  22. key — in music
  23. field — a subject
  24. wave — with your hand

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