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 · pound · rash · game · ball · court · mate · cabinet

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  2. ball — a dance
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. season — in sport
  5. mate — to breed
  6. season — of the year
  7. court — of law
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. rash — hasty
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pound — a weight
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ball — a great time
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. rash — a series
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. ball — a round shape
  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