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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — of law
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. squash — the sport
  8. pass — a permit
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. track — to keep track
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. present — the time now
  16. court — of a king
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. track — a song
  20. scale — in music
  21. present — there
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a path

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