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: roll · press · mouse · season · key · court · foot · deal

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. foot — a measure
  3. season — of the year
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. season — in sport
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. key — for a lock
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. roll — a cake
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. key — in music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. press — a publisher
  17. court — of a king
  18. roll — a list
  19. key — the most important part
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. court — for sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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