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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bulb — for light
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of law
  10. field — for sport
  11. board — to get on
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. field — farmland
  14. board — a committee
  15. court — of a king
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. net — in sport
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — bread
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — letters
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — a short time

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