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 · vault · land · field · club · can · pitcher · pass

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. field — for sport
  4. land — a country
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. club — for golf
  7. court — for sport
  8. land — ground
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. vault — a safe
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. can — a tin
  13. land — to come down
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. field — a subject
  16. pass — a permit
  17. field — farmland
  18. club — a group
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. court — of a king
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — of law
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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