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: field · perch · court · mug · degree · bound · foot · pitch

  1. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. bound — certain
  3. perch — the fish
  4. court — of a king
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. court — for sport
  8. field — farmland
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. mug — a cup
  11. court — of law
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. field — for sport
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. degree — from a university
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. field — a subject
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. foot — a measure

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