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: mouse · fork · rule · swing · present · court · wind · field

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. swing — to play on
  3. present — the time now
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. swing — music
  8. court — of a king
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. field — for sport
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. rule — government
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wind — moving air
  17. present — a gift
  18. court — of law
  19. present — there
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. rule — a law
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. rule — to rule out

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