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: cabinet · court · game · mark · coach · saw · degree · suit

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. game — wild animals
  5. court — of law
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. court — for sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. degree — temperature
  15. suit — clothes
  16. degree — from a university
  17. mark — a grade
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a match
  21. mark — a trace
  22. degree — an amount
  23. court — of a king
  24. suit — to fit

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