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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. court — of a king
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spring — a coil
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. court — of law
  12. field — farmland
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. field — for sport
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — a subject
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. spring — the season

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