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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. court — for sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ball — a great time
  9. game — a match
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. shower — rain
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. rush — hurry
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. court — of a king
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — of law

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