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: ball · cap · root · court · nail · last · firm · bat

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. bat — the animal
  4. firm — a company
  5. court — of a king
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a dance
  9. root — of a plant
  10. court — of law
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — of ice
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. last — to go on
  16. firm — steady
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. cap — a hat
  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