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

Word bank: pitcher · bay · stand · net · field · lie · court · fork

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. court — for sport
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. field — for sport
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. net — for catching
  12. field — farmland
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. court — of law
  17. stand — to bear
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. court — of a king
  20. net — after costs
  21. net — in sport
  22. fork — in a road
  23. field — a subject
  24. pitcher — a jug

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