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: content · spell · field · charge · deal · pit · lean · court

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. field — for sport
  3. charge — electricity
  4. field — a subject
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. spell — letters
  7. pit — in a race
  8. court — of a king
  9. content — happy
  10. spell — magic
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. court — of law
  14. content — the amount
  15. spell — a short time
  16. charge — in control
  17. court — for sport
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. charge — a price
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. field — farmland
  24. lean — thin

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