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: court · bear · chip · pitcher · rest · track · bowl · net

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. track — a path
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bear — the animal
  6. net — for catching
  7. chip — to eat
  8. net — in sport
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of law
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. rest — a break
  23. court — of a king
  24. track — a song

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