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 120 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: cue · cap · fan · coach · court · wind · content · pop

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. court — of law
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cue — for pool
  10. court — of a king
  11. content — happy
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. cue — a signal
  16. court — for sport
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cap — a hat
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pop — soda
  23. content — the amount
  24. cue — a hint

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