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: net · club · court · track · fork · lean · kick · field

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. court — of a king
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. net — for catching
  6. track — a path
  7. court — of law
  8. kick — in football
  9. club — a group
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. track — a song
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. fork — in a road
  14. track — to keep track
  15. lean — to bend
  16. club — for dancing
  17. court — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. field — farmland
  20. lean — thin
  21. net — after costs
  22. net — in sport
  23. club — for golf
  24. kick — a thrill

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