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: court · jam · mate · field · mug · plane · season · coach

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. mug — to rob
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — a partner
  6. season — in sport
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. mug — a cup
  13. court — for sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. mug — a face
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mate — to breed

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