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: shower · ground · game · mate · fine · cabinet · cap · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. court — of law
  10. mate — a friend
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mate — to breed
  13. fine — high quality
  14. cap — of ice
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ground — a position
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. ground — crushed
  19. fine — all right
  20. mate — a partner
  21. shower — rain
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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