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: fan · court · field · bound · fine · safe · snap · staff

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. court — for sport
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bound — tied together
  7. field — for sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. snap — to click
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — employees
  13. bound — obliged
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. field — farmland
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fine — all right
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. court — of a king
  21. fine — high quality
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. fine — a penalty

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