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 · degree · shower · wave · drill · fine · land · ball

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a dance
  3. shower — rain
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — of law
  7. shower — to wash
  8. degree — from a university
  9. drill — a practice
  10. degree — temperature
  11. court — of a king
  12. degree — an amount
  13. fine — high quality
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fine — all right
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — to come down
  20. land — ground
  21. land — a country
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. drill — the tool
  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