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

Word bank: trunk · bulb · net · chip · fan · coach · field · court

  1. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. field — a subject
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. field — for sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bulb — for light
  11. net — for catching
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. net — after costs
  14. court — for sport
  15. chip — for betting
  16. field — farmland
  17. net — in sport
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. court — of a king
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. chip — to eat
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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