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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. court — for sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. plane — a tool
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. court — of a king
  11. ball — a great time
  12. court — of law
  13. mark — a grade
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. date — the fruit
  18. mark — a trace
  19. spring — the season
  20. rash — hasty
  21. ground — a position
  22. rash — a series
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. date — on the calendar

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