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 · deal · bat · mark · suit · ball · spring · season

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. spring — of water
  3. suit — clothes
  4. mark — a trace
  5. deal — to handle
  6. ball — a great time
  7. spring — a coil
  8. court — of law
  9. season — of the year
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. bat — the animal
  14. suit — to fit
  15. court — of a king
  16. court — for sport
  17. spring — the season
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. suit — in cards

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