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: plane · lie · court · coach · pop · field · ruler · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — for sport
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. pop — to visit
  7. plane — a tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. court — of law
  12. field — farmland
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pop — music
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. pop — soda
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. field — for sport
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. lie — to recline
  24. field — a subject

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