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: charge · mine · net · field · calf · staff · patient · court

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — for digging
  4. court — for sport
  5. staff — employees
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. court — of a king
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. net — for catching
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. net — in sport
  14. charge — electricity
  15. court — of law
  16. field — farmland
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — a stick
  21. field — for sport
  22. charge — in control
  23. staff — employees
  24. net — after costs

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