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: season · club · field · court · kick · patient · chest · pit

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. chest — of your body
  7. club — a group
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of a king
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. field — for sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. court — of law
  16. chest — a box
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — for sport
  19. field — farmland
  20. chest — of your body
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. field — a subject
  24. club — for golf

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