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: dip · snap · bat · cell · ball · pound · court · cabinet

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. ball — a dance
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bat — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. court — for sport
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. ball — a great time
  17. snap — to click
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. court — of law
  21. cell — a phone
  22. court — of a king
  23. cell — in biology
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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