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: field · fork · chair · stick · wake · jam · coach · racket

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. field — a subject
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. field — for sport
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. wake — a trail
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fork — in a road
  16. field — farmland
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chair — a leader

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