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 120 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: pitcher · mate · present · ruler · bowl · shower · court · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. land — to come down
  5. court — for sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. land — a country
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. shower — rain
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. present — there
  17. shower — to wash
  18. court — of a king
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. court — of law

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