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: march · field · chair · temple · pitch · fork · scale · face

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. face — to confront
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chair — a leader
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. field — for sport
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. scale — in music
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. march — the month
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — part of the head
  17. fork — in a road
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. field — farmland
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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