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 116 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: court · chair · field · current · dip · fork · spell · ruler

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. field — farmland
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. spell — letters
  9. current — happening now
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — of law
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. field — for sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. court — for sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. court — of a king
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — a short time
  23. current — electric
  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