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 · toast · fork · cell · pitch · cap · rush · coach

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. court — of a king
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fork — in a road
  5. court — for sport
  6. cap — of ice
  7. toast — bread
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. court — of law
  13. cell — in biology
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. pitch — completely
  20. cell — a phone
  21. cap — a hat
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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