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 116 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — of law
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. can — a tin
  11. mark — a trace
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. deal — to handle
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mark — a grade
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. can — a tin
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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