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: swing · sharp · cap · object · shower · rash · racket · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. swing — in golf
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rash — hasty
  9. sharp — clever
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. rash — a series
  12. shower — rain
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. swing — to play on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. object — a thing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. court — of a king
  21. object — to protest
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. swing — music
  24. object — an aim

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