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 120 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: foot · bowl · field · ground · kick · game · staff · perch

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. kick — in football
  3. game — wild animals
  4. field — for sport
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ground — a position
  7. game — a match
  8. perch — the fish
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. staff — employees
  13. ground — the earth
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. ground — crushed
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. staff — a stick
  20. foot — a measure
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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