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: cap · key · track · court · pitcher · march · race · jam

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. key — in music
  5. race — a contest
  6. court — for sport
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — of ice
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. court — of a king
  13. track — to keep track
  14. march — the month
  15. court — of law
  16. key — the most important part
  17. race — humankind
  18. march — the month
  19. race — the arms race
  20. key — for a lock
  21. march — music
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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