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: court · cap · object · date · club · ball · stick · spring

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. club — a group
  4. spring — of water
  5. object — an aim
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. club — for golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a lid
  12. court — of a king
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — the fruit
  15. spring — a coil
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spring — the season
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cap — a hat
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. court — of law
  23. club — for dancing
  24. court — for sport

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