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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: field · court · race · stick · rule · bay

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. court — of law
  4. field — farmland
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. race — a contest
  9. court — for sport
  10. race — humankind
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — a law
  13. field — for sport
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. court — of a king
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rule — government

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