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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. court — for sport
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. field — for sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. field — a subject
  7. ball — a great time
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. band — a ring
  11. court — of a king
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — to protest
  15. fine — high quality
  16. field — farmland
  17. fork — in a road
  18. court — of law
  19. band — a music group
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fine — all right
  22. ball — a dance
  23. row — a line
  24. band — a rubber band

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