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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stand · cabinet · march · content · mate · race · bat · court

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — for sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. court — of law
  5. march — the month
  6. race — a contest
  7. march — music
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. stand — to bear
  13. court — of a king
  14. mate — to breed
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bat — the animal
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. race — humankind
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. race — the arms race
  23. content — happy
  24. content — the amount

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