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: bowl · cabinet · dip · present · cell · land · scale · court

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. scale — in music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cell — a phone
  12. present — a gift
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. land — ground
  16. court — of a king
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cell — in biology
  21. scale — size or range
  22. present — the time now
  23. land — a country
  24. land — to come down

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