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: mug · chip · court · mark · spring · charge · hand · field

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. spring — of water
  3. hand — help
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. chip — to eat
  7. charge — electricity
  8. chip — for betting
  9. mug — a cup
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. spring — a coil
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. court — of a king
  15. charge — a price
  16. field — farmland
  17. spring — the season
  18. charge — in control
  19. hand — in cards
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. field — for sport
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — a grade

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