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: season · saw · cue · dip · clip · suit · rock · court

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. dip — to sink
  3. court — for sport
  4. clip — for paper
  5. season — in sport
  6. rock — a stone
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. clip — to cut
  10. suit — in cards
  11. rock — music
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cue — a signal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. clip — a video
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. season — of the year
  21. suit — clothes
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. suit — to fit

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