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 120 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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. race — a contest
  5. court — of law
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rash — hasty
  10. court — for sport
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. shower — rain
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. race — the arms race
  17. key — in music
  18. court — of a king
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. race — humankind
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — for a lock
  24. rash — a series

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