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 · pop · staff · pass · tear · shower · court · cap

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — soda
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. court — of a king
  9. tear — to rip
  10. staff — employees
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. court — of law
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tear — from crying
  18. court — for sport
  19. shower — rain
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ball — a dance
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. tear — from crying

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