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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. current — electric
  3. field — a subject
  4. court — of a king
  5. cue — a signal
  6. squash — to crush
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — happening now
  9. can — to be able to
  10. cue — for pool
  11. current — of water
  12. field — farmland
  13. field — for sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. court — for sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — all right
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of law

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