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 116 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. season — in sport
  3. ground — a position
  4. cue — for pool
  5. field — farmland
  6. field — for sport
  7. ground — the earth
  8. charge — a price
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. field — a subject
  11. cue — a hint
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. charge — electricity
  14. ground — crushed
  15. row — to paddle
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. row — a line
  19. charge — in control
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cue — a signal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. season — of the year

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