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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. field — for sport
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. mug — a cup
  5. key — the most important part
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mug — a face
  8. fork — in a road
  9. field — farmland
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of law
  12. court — for sport
  13. can — a tin
  14. key — in music
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. roll — a list
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. can — a tin
  22. mug — to rob
  23. field — a subject
  24. court — of a king

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