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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. object — an aim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. court — of law
  6. object — a thing
  7. squash — the sport
  8. row — a line
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. ball — a great time
  12. ball — a dance
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. object — to protest
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mate — a partner
  18. can — to be able to
  19. pit — in a race
  20. court — for sport
  21. row — to paddle
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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